


Prisoner of Fate

by Gallerian



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst, Body Modification, Forced Heat, Forced Orgasm, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, M/M, Manipulation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Merman Akira, Mpreg, Mutilation, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Orgasm Denial, Prostate Milking, Rape/Non-con Elements, Scientist Akechi, Sexual Experimentation, Torture, Toys, Victim Blaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2018-10-23 13:33:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10720323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gallerian/pseuds/Gallerian
Summary: After being stranded ashore from a terrible storm, the sea nymph Akira finds himself in the arms of Goro Akechi—a young human whom he believed had been the one to rescue him. Captivated by the young man, Akira ignored the desperate pleas of his pod members just for another chance to see the human again.If only he had heeded their warnings.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mermaid AU because I love fics with sad captured mermaids. This is kind of just an excuse for me to write shitty Shuake whilst hitting all of my kinks. 
> 
> Tags won't come into play until Chapter 4.

Akira groaned as he started to come to.

 

He had woken up to an odd, prickling sensation, piercing the injured part of his tail. Though he couldn’t tell what, something from above the surface of the water seemed to be the one causing it. What he assumed to be one of their other limbs was firmly pressing down on his stomach, keeping his body submerged in the shallow ocean water as the steady prickling continued.

 

「  _Am I... still alive…? What's going on…?_  」

 

He had meant to lift his head to get a better look at whatever was on top of him, but only managed to loll it halfway upright before collapsing right back down onto the sandbed. The prickling had stopped at his sudden movement, but continued again not long after. Too dazed to even consider fighting against this potential threat, the nymph had given up and simply laid still, tolerating the continued prickling on his tail as he waited for his strength to return to him. For the time being, he was content with simply feeling the gentle waves lap all around him, and observing the slow rise and fall of his own chest with each breath he took. He figured that whatever creature this was couldn't have been all that bad, if it still hadn’t eaten an injured nymph like him by now.

 

Opting to tune the strange creature out, he instead chose to focus on the rest of his surroundings as he began to piece together what may have happened to him.

 

The first thing Akira could notice was the lack of rain; the sun was shining high above the sky—its pleasant rays scattering all across the surface of the water—which meant that at least a day or two must have already passed since he had been out. The sea foam around him suggested that he must be somewhere in the ocean’s shallows— which made sense if the creature perched on top of him remained mostly above surface.

 

All in all, the sea, the sky, everything... was shockingly calm and peaceful. It was as if the storm from before had all but vanished without a trace.

 

「 _But how did I get here?_  」he wondered to himself, 「  _What had happened to me?_ 」

 

「 _… Just how long had I been out for…?_ 」

 

...

 

Bit by bit, his memories returned to him.

 

 

He remembered busying himself with the rest of his pod earlier that day, in preparing for the storm that was to come. From the telltale changes in the temperature, currents, and ocean pressure, it was obvious to anyone that a bad storm was brewing and on its way soon. While Futaba, Ryuji, Yusuke, and Ann worked with him in fortifying their underwater cave for the storm, he had overheard Morgana, Makoto, and Haru debating on what to do about their dwindling rations. In recent years, food was a lot harder to come by for everyone, due in part to the overharvesting of fish by greedy humans. It was simply not a fair match; massive nets underneath the hulls of whale-sized ships were able to harvest ten times the amount of fish within a single harvest, overshadowing the number any nymph could hope to accomplish in an entire day. Fish populations were diminishing, and the days of hunting enough to last more than a few days at a time have simply come to an end. While they had enough to last them all two days, this particular storm was harder to predict than most. No one wanted to admit it, but by the looks of things it was likely that this storm may outlast their food supply.

 

It was then that Akira offered to go out and hunt for more himself, right then and there. He insisted that there was nothing to worry about; as the fastest swimmer out of all of them, he was confident that he could swim out and return before the bad weather even arrived, and still make it back with enough food to outlast the storm. And while he could see that hadn't been enough to get anyone on board with his idea, he reminded them that it was not an option they could refuse at this point—no one else had been able to come up with a better idea, and even the discussions of backup plans seemed to have gone in circles thus far. Letting his brashness and self-confidence get the best of him as usual, Akira simply darted away by himself—off before anyone else could even object to him any further.

 

He had caught enough to sustain his pod for at least two more days before he really felt the stronger tides starting to pick up. By that time, he had an even harder time finding prey than usual, as most had already tucked themselves away for the upcoming storm. By the time he turned back with what he had in his arms, it was far too late—the storm had already arrived. Wooden chunks and debris from recently struck-down ships rained down amidst the thrashing sea. Howling winds from the surface stirred the violent waters even further. Even slabs of coral were getting torn apart from the powerful currents right before his eyes. Gone now was the calm before the storm—before he had even noticed it, Akira had caught himself right in the middle of one of the worst tempests he had ever seen.

 

It wasn’t that Akira hadn’t tried his best to return. Swimming faster than he had ever in his life, Akira hadpushed his aching muscles to the max in order to compensate for the food weighing him down. He had almost been able to make it back too—just shy of the boulders that marked the halfway point—when a particularly violent tide swept up his unsuspecting body and hurled him straight into the rocks.  

 

He remembered the excruciating pain that had followed that, too. The sheer intensity of it had made him let go of most of his catch, doubled over in pain as he was as his tail slammed onto a serrated edge of stone. Blood clouded the water around him from the gash that tore deep into his flesh. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed as much of what he had dropped in one arm and applied agonizing pressure on his tail with the other. He knew he had no other choice but to try and hobble on like this through the pain; he was still only halfway home after all, and the last thing he needed was to worry about predators on top of everything else.

 

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse for him, the storm began to pick up in intensity again. With his newly sustained injury, swimming and keeping his balance was difficult on its own; carrying an armful of prey through the unrelenting tides made it that much more impossible. The thrashing sea slammed him into a couple more boulders and reefs, throwing his body around like a ragdoll before his vision started to flicker in and out.

 

Before he knew it, he found himself staring into wet sand, coughing violently as his breathing was forcibly switched into his weaker, secondary lungs. The storm had washed Akira up onto the surface—miles above the depths, and far, far away from his pod.

 

The last thing the sea nymph remembered was lying there on the damp, gritty sand after that— shivering, bleeding out, too exhausted to even attempt to crawl back into the raging ocean; a literal fish out of water as he prayed for a miracle to save him from this somehow. The sky above was pitch black, only lit up by the occasional streaks of light hiding behind dark, ominous clouds. It seemed to sneer at him— the deafening thunder roaring in the heavens not unlike loud, obnoxious laughter jeering at his rotten luck. With the storm blustering on like this, not a soul was out there to call for help to. With the way his luck had been, he might sooner bleed to death like this than survive long enough for anyone to arrive. 

 

It had dawned on Akira that he might actually die right there and then—all alone, painfully bleeding out, and having left the rest of his pod to starve in vain without him. Not knowing if he would ever wake up, he finally closed his eyes in defeat before finally succumbing to the unfamiliar darkness threatening to swallow him whole.

 

...

 

Yet—despite all of that being the very last thing he could remember—here he was now... relaxing on his back underneath the calm, shallow waters of the ocean, and very much alive. Not at all on the brink of death like he had last remembered. From high above him, Akira could hear the seagulls in the air shrieking loudly at each other, seemingly oblivious to the devastation that had happened just before.

 

It was all as if one of the worst storms this part of the ocean had ever experienced... hadn't just happened.

 

「 _Could it be...? Was all of that just some nightmare?_ 」

 

The nymph flinched as a particularly sharp, stabbing pain pulled him back from his thoughts. Curiously, the prickling hadn’t stopped even now, though the creature did become noticeably gentler with its efforts after that seeming mistake on its part.

 

「   _No, this is real, alright. It has to be. But then... none of this make any sense. There's no way I could have ended up back in the ocean by myself— not after… all of that. What happened to me after though?_ 」

 

「 _Did someone... save me?_ 」

 

Akira slowly rubbed his eyes as he pulled himself upright, shifting his focus onto the brown-haired figure perched on top of him. Lacking any fins, scales, or webbing throughout his body, he recognized this odd-looking creature as one of those "humans" his kind have been so wary of. The sea nymph tensed slightly, watching the human with both anticipation and a cautious sense of curiosity. The human’s bright crimson eyes had widened upon seeing him suddenly sit up without warning, but it quickly lowered its gaze away and raised open palms in front of him—gesturing submissively as if trying to reassure him that it was of no threat.

 

A string of sounds unlike anything Akira had ever heard in his life stumbled from the human's lips.

 

"Ah, my apologies! I must've startled you awake with all of this stitching, haven't I?"

 

The nymph had understood none of what the human had said, but the voice that had floated out had been reassuring enough on its own. Soft and airy, and unlike anything he had ever heard in the sea. It was stunningly unique—beautiful, even. This had to have been the creature responsible for saving him—Akira was sure of it now. He lifted his own hand, hesitantly reaching for the human's fingers before eventually lacing them with his own.

 

"What's this?" the human mused, equal parts curious and delighted at this seemingly friendly gesture. 

 

The human in front of him was quite an odd sight to behold, up close as it was to the sea nymph. Small and frail-looking, with slender fingers lacking the characteristic webbing that should be interlaced between them, and wearing too much of... something strange covering most of its body. Akira had observed a few humans from afar before, but seeing one at this proximity was something else, to say the least.

 

That isn't to say that Akira thought these characteristics to be flaws that took away from its beauty. Rather, he couldn't help but feel himself drawn to the human some more the more he drank in its appearance. Despite only having just met, there was something strangely inviting about those bright crimson eyes, and that gentle smile. Akira dimly recalled the tales he had heard of growing up—of humans as evil harbingers of misfortune; nothing but ruthless beings to be avoided, lest one invite the disasters often associated with them. He just simply refused to believe that this creature sitting right in front of him could be any of that. There was simply no way that he could have survived being stranded ashore with the injury he had sustained, and in such a terrible storm to boot—this human must have been the one to have somehow saved him, or at least some bringer of good luck that had left him his life when he was sure to have lost it otherwise. 

 

The sea nymph purred loudly, letting his contentment and gratefulness be known to the human. Whatever role it may have played in his rescue, Akira couldn't help but thank the human for it. 

 

"I stumbled upon you lying on the shore like that, injured, and I just couldn't bear to leave you be. To think... such a majestic creature, in need of help from someone like me... Not everyday does someone so ordinary get such an incredible opportunity. To feel so... so important. So _needed_." the human trailed off with a sigh, a hint of wistfulness buried underneath overflowing admiration. The human added its finishing touches to the sea nymph's tail, before stepping back and admiring its handiwork.

 

"Hm... there. Perfect. You should be able to move with this now, I think."

 

Akira still could not fully comprehend the things the human tried to relay to him, but he figured it must have had something to do with his injured tail. He ran his webbed fingers over his own flesh, surprised to see something curious where his previous injury had been—the nasty wound from before had magically sealed. While a good amount of his scales had been torn away there, the gash itself had been closed up neatly with some sort of strong, threadlike material.「 _That must explain what the constant prickling had been,_ 」the nymph figured to himself. He prodded the wound some more and found that it feels significantly better when such a wound was sealed this way, even if it hadn't fully healed him just yet. Eager to test out the strength of his newly-mended tail, Akira slowly lifted his tail as high as he could and suddenly slammed it back down on the water, causing a huge splash that took the human by complete surprise. The nymph felt his chest swell with pride at seeing how large a wave he had been able to make just now—enough to drench the human with seawater from head to toe. 

 

The soaked human simply stared at him, wide-eyed and stunned into silence as it was, before both of them burst out in a fit of laughter.

 

"I suppose you can't be all that bad off if you have all of this energy now," the human chuckled, wringing out saltwater from its hair. "Well then I suppose my job here is done, then. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr... Mermaid- er, man..?" 

 

"You can't even understand what I'm saying anyways, can you?" the human mused thoughtfully, tilting its head to one side. For just a split second, Akira thought he saw a strange gleam in the human's eyes, but whatever it was had gone just as quickly as it came. The human simply shrugged.

 

"Well, not that there's a harm in trying, I suppose. Maybe I can get you to remember my name then, for starters?"

 

"My name," it said slowly, motioning to himself, "is Goro Akechi." Pausing a little bit, the human repeated itself again, hoping the nymph would eventually understand what he was trying to do.

 

"Go-ro. A-ke-chi. Goro Akechi."

 

「 .... G-Goro... A..kechi... 」

 

It didn't take long for Akira to catch on. The sea nymph did his best in mimicking the same sounds, observing carefully the ways in which the mouth of the human would move and repeating it with his own. He wasn't quite sure if this was what all humans called themselves, or if it was a name that only this particular human called itself by, but Akira liked the sound of it nonetheless. Strange, exotic, and beautiful—much like the human itself.

 

「 Goro Akechi 」

 

The name suited the human well. Akira would do his best to remember it, as the name he would think of when remembering the kindhearted human who had saved his life. It was the very least he could do. Satisfied with the nymph's eager attempt at learning its name, the human Goro Akechi parted with a wave of a hand and some other things Akira couldn't quite catch. Akira smiled dreamily, watching the human walk away until its figure had faded into the horizon. 

 

「 _I don't know how I can thank you enough... But I hope that I'll be able to return the favor someday, Goro Akechi._ 」

 

* * *

 

 

Weeks passed since that fateful first encounter with the human. Akira had eventually been able to make it all the way back home, though the journey had taken him a bit longer than he would have liked due to his injury. Still, he couldn't complain too much—he was simply happy to see the familiar, warm faces of his pod again, especially after having such a close encounter with death. Everyone had been so happy and relieved too, after assuming the worst had happened to him due to the storm. They all had taken turns hugging him, eager as they were to have their lost pod member return home safely; Futaba had almost refused to let him go at one point, and Makoto's grip on him nearly crushed his body. Akira was happy to be back...

 

Until they asked what had happened to him. 

 

「 I don’t understand,  」Akira cried defensively,「 What does it matter if it was a _human_ that saved me? 」

 

「 Well, you don't really know if it saved you, do you?  」Futaba retorted. 「 You only said it was there when you woke up, and you _assume_ it had saved you, but what if it actually hadn't?  」

 

「 That's besides the point. He _helped_ me,  」the nymph insisted, pointing to the stitching on his wound, 「 And this is proof of it. I wouldn't have been able to come back home with an injury like this if it weren't for the human's help, sealing it together for me when I was too weak to even get up. I saw that at least, with my own eyes. 」All of this was aggravating, to say the least. He had come back home alive and in one piece—that in itself was a miracle only possible due to the human's kindness. Wasn't that what mattered the most? Why was he being interrogated like he had just committed a crime? Goro Akechi had done nothing wrong to deserve this, and neither had he. Can’t they simply put aside their fears for once and just be grateful he’s alive?

 

「 Even if that were true, you should have known better than to have fully trusted yourself to the whims of something like a... like a _human_. You could have gotten hurt! It could have killed you! Eaten you, maimed you, a-abducted you... 」

 

「 Makoto is right. 」Yusuke added, nodding solemnly.「 Humans are our enemies and always have been for millennia. They care nothing for our species, or for anything else outside of their own for that matter. You know the stories, don’t you? Large nets stealing away massive amounts of food, leaving the rest of us to starve. Garbage littered around our homes, poisoning our biomes. Sea nymphs inexplicably _disappearing_  one by one, after being spotted near their foul contraptions. So many stories, and it all ties back to them. Humans... simply bring nothing to us but misfortune. 」

 

「 Why so defensive about this dude anyways? We’re just trying to knock some sense into ya after the storm clearly messed with your noggin’. Nothin’ good ever comes from trustin’ a human. Everyone knows that! 」

 

「 We _are_ grateful that you made it back home, Akira, 」Haru said softly, noticing all the tension and frustration from the young sea nymph,「 We really are. 」

 

「 We were just... worried to hear that you came in contact with something so dangerous. If it had helped you like you said it had, then I'm sure all of us are grateful for it. But please... promise us you'd be careful the next time you see a human? Like Yusuke said, many of them are simply not to be trusted, and it is often hard to tell what their intentions truly are. 」

 

「 PLEASE promise us that you won't go near a human like that? Ever again? 」Futaba chided, half jokingly. Akira was having none of it anymore, however.

 

「 And what if I don't? What if I decide to go up to the surface right now and meet Goro Akechi again? What if I decide to spend the rest of my life with humans instead, since none of _you_ are willing put your fear of humans aside and just be happy that I'm alive?! 」Angrily, he stormed out of the cave as fast as he could. 

 

「 Akira, wait! Come on, man! 」Ryuji tried his best to follow him, but Akira has had too much of a head start on him for him to catch up. 

 

「 It's alright, Ryuji. 」Morgana reassured him, placing one hand on his shoulder.「 I don't think he's that far gone just yet. Akira probably needs his own space to think for now, after all that's happened. Let's just wait for him to cool down on his own. 」

 

The black-haired nymph kept swimming without a particular destination in mind—swimming merely to swim and keep his mind preoccupied from the anger bubbling inside. Without really meaning to, he felt himself approaching the warmer ocean waters until he eventually found himself in the same shallows he had been in with Goro Akechi. Simply out of spite, he decided to keep swimming until his head finally peeked out of the surface of the water.

 

「 They don't know anything about Goro Akechi, or about humans. None of them do. ' _Promise us you won't go near a human like that ever again_ '? I'll show them... 」

 

Looking at his surroundings and seeing the beach devoid of people, he began approaching the shore. Deep down, Akira knew that they were only looking out for him, but he can’t deny feeling hurt whenever they mention how "bad" humans were. He knows it's not what they mean of it, but he can't help but feel as if they were saying it would have been better for him to die alone than be saved by a _human_  of all things. Shouldn't the fact that he's alive be all that mattered? He made a dumb mistake that nearly costed him his life; what was so wrong with feeling grateful to the one who gave him a second chance? He wished he could somehow change their hearts on the matter. He wished they could see Akechi for the actual kindhearted soul that he was.

 

He wished he could see Akechi again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (If you had read any of the previous versions of this first chapter, I am so sorry)


	2. Chapter 2

Sure enough, he did not have to wait long for his prayers to be answered. As if right on cue, he soon caught sight of a familiar mop of brown hair.

 

Akechi.

 

Akira’s heart fluttered upon seeing the human. All alone on the shore was Goro Akechi— cross-legged and gazing at the sunset over the water’s horizon.

 

The nymph quickly dove behind a rocky cliff before the human could notice him. He continued to watch him silently, torn between wanting to meet him again, yet still remaining a bit hesitant about surfacing completely. After all, they might not be alone; while Akira doubted that Akechi himself would do anything, he could never be too cautious about the poachers or other humans that might be lurking around.

 

Still.

 

The soft features of his face, as the ocean breeze lightly played with his hair. The sunlight reflecting in his dark crimson eyes, making them shine a light ruby red. The way he gazed at the waters longingly, as if he too yearned just as greatly as the nymph did. It all tugged at Akira’s heartstrings. He couldn’t believe that this was the being who saved his life. He felt so… _lucky_. It warmed him to know he had met such an alluring, kind soul in such a way— even if he had nearly died in the process. And while he still remained quietly watching him in the shadows, it was hard to fight the temptation to just swim to the shore and embrace the human.

 

In a voice almost too soft for even his fins to pick up, Akira heard him mutter something wistfully before getting up to leave.

 

「 Wait! 」

 

Akechi quickly shot up, looking around him tensely. Grabbing a nearby driftwood branch for protection, he walked apprehensively in the direction of the sound.

 

“Is anyone there? Show yourself!”

 

Akira hadn’t actually meant to call him out on purpose. But seeing Akechi turn to leave… The fear of possibly never seeing him again had gotten to him. He took a deep breath, and decidedly swam to the shore, fully revealing himself to him.

 

「 Please, wait… Goro Akechi. 」

 

Akechi gasped upon seeing the sea nymph right before his eyes.

 

“It’s you again...”

 

He dropped the branch to the ground and ran towards him, crouching down to meet his gaze.

 

“What are you doing here? Are you okay?” Akira asked, inspecting around his body and tail. “You don’t _seem_ to be injured again…” He checked the stitching and sighed in relief to see it still intact, the blood and swelling surrounding it completely gone.

 

Akira smiled at the human’s thoughtfulness. He slowly took the other’s hand in his and, lifting it up to his lips, did the only gesture he knew the human would understand— a kiss.

 

「  I know you can’t understand me, and I can’t understand you. But… I still wanted to thank you properly, for saving my life. Thank you, Goro Akechi.  」

 

Akechi blushed at the nymph’s actions, turning his head slightly in embarrassment. The nymph noted the beautiful way his skin changed color, even to the tips of his finless ears.

 

“I don’t understand… Is this, perhaps, as thanks for mending your tail? If so…” he shyly took one of Akira’s in turn and lifted it up to his lips, doing the same.

 

“... the pleasure’s all mine.”

 

This time, it was Akira’s turn to turn his head away in embarrassment. The human had not only accepted his thanks, but even returned the gesture? He was left speechless. As soon as he released his hand, Akira quickly turned to leave, wanting to bury his heated body in the coldness of the depths as he processes what had just happened.

 

“Wait! Don’t go yet! Please stay.”

 

The nymph turned back to Akechi, not grasping his words but understanding the pained, pleading expression on his face. He stayed and watched his expressions further.

 

“Please, stay. I’m sorry if I acted out of line. I… I know you can’t understand me, but perhaps…” he fished for something in a bag, before opening a container and handing it to the sea nymph.  

 

「 _Is he offering something? To me?_ 」

 

Akira slowly approached the container. It was a small container holding six spheres, glazed brown, drizzled in white, and peppered with green flakes. He stopped to sniff them. Whatever they were, they smelled _good_.

 

“Please take these. It’s takoyaki. I’m sure a creature like you would have no qualms about eating octopus, right? Here, I’ll try one too.” He took one and ate it, before taking another and offering it to him.

 

「 Takoyaki… 」

 

Seeing Akechi try it first, the nymph decided to take a bite. His eyes widened in surprise as he took another, then another. It tasted amazing. It took no time at all for him to go through the entire container. He purred in delight, licking his fingers.

 

“You really like that, huh?” Akechi chuckled. “Yeah, it’s quite popular here too. I’ll make sure to bring some more next time too, if you wish. For now though...” he motioned for him to lie his head down on his lap, smiling. “Will you join me in watching the last rays of the sunset?”  

 

Akira hesitated. As much as he wanted to do so, some part of the back of his mind nagged at him with Ann’s words.

 

「 _You don’t understand! Humans are untrustworthy like that. They’ll pretend to help you when it's convenient for them, until they decide you owe them your life for it!_ 」

 

He swallowed that thought down. Well, what did Ann know about humans anyway? What did _any_ of them know about Akechi anyways? They’ve never even met him before unanimously deciding to vilify him.

 

He lied his head down on the human’s lap, purring contentedly as they enjoyed the sun’s last rays together.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Akira met with the human often from then on. No matter where he was, he could always expect to find Akechi soon enough once he approached the shores close enough. Sometimes, it was at the shoreline near the rocky cliffs. Others, it had been near the abandoned shack at the west end of the beach. Once in awhile, Akechi wore less things on him and swam with him in the ocean, at times even swimming as far as the grotto on a small, nearby island.

 

The trips to the grotto were by far his favorite. When they went there, it truly felt like it was just the two of them. Akira would lie down with his head on the human’s lap, singing the beautiful melodies passed down to him from generations and admiring the pretty echo aftereffects of the small cave. While he would sing, Akechi would gently stroke his hair and hum the melody together. There was especially one time when they visited the grotto where it had rained on them all of a sudden. Wanting to impress the human, Akira froze the nearby rain droplets in place and gathered them in midair, before hurtling it all in Akechi’s face gently. With his face drenched in smiles and raindrops, he cupped Akira’s in both hands and brought them to a kiss, the very first the nymph had ever received. The human who had saved his life had stolen his heart, too. Akira couldn’t be happier.  

 

His pod, however, disapproved of this.

 

At first, it was easy to hide it from them. Akira always had an excuse at the ready for whenever he had his rendezvous with the human.「 _Really craving some squid right now, be back in a few._ 」「 _Going for a nightly swim, don’t wait up for me._ 」But the more he spent time with Akechi, the later he stayed out on the surface, and the harder it is to convince them every time.

 

One day, the pod decided to confront him about the matter. As Akira was getting ready to head out again, he found himself surrounded by everyone. 

 

「 Akira, please do not lie. We already know you have been frequenting the surface to meet with… the human. Why do you continue to ignore our warnings? 」

 

Akira shifted tensely. The whole group was staring holes at him, waiting for an answer.

 

「 What do you mean? I’ve just been hunting and swimming more to practice after my injury. What, is that so wrong now? 」

 

「 Dude, recently you’ve gone for long hunts only to come back empty-handed. That’s not the Akira I know, man. 」

 

「 Bad days. Sometimes the fish just don't bite, that's all. Don’t tell me _you’ve_ never had that happen? Besides, how can I even plan to meet him anyway? I don’t understand his language, and he doesn’t understand ours.  」

 

「 See! That’s super suspicious. You’re right, how does he know where and when to meet you then? What if he knows where to meet you all the time because he tracks you down using some advanced human invention? I’ve heard some humans have something like that, called a ‘gee-pee-es’. It’s a scary possibility. 」

 

「 That’s ridiculous! Besides, if he had that technology, wouldn’t he have kidnapped me already by now? 」

 

「 So you _do_ admit to seeing him! 」

 

「 Futaba! 」

 

「 Please, Akira. We’re worried for your own safety and ours. We can’t function as a pod if we were to lose an important member such as yourself. The number of nymphs going missing due to human influences have been on the rise recently. Our entire pod must stay vigilant and look out for one another. 」

 

「 It isn’t fair to Akechi that you all lump him with the other scum responsible. Not all nymphs are great either! Why do you all insist on hating the human who saved my life? Why do you all act like I’m better off dead than having been saved by a human?! 」By this time, Akira realized he was trembling, fists clenched and claws digging into his palms.

 

「 ... If you all can’t accept the decisions I make with my own life, that’s fine. I’ll leave, then. 」He quickly turned and sped away.

 

「 Hold it! Where are you going, Akira? Akira! 」Before he knew it, Makoto was gaining on him, only an arm’s length away. If he hadn't realized it already, he definitely realized it now— he really couldn’t swim as fast as he used to. At this pace, Makoto would catch up to him very soon...

 

「 Makoto, wait. Stop. 」 From a distance, he heard Morgana’s voice.

 

「 What? But— 」

 

「 Just leave him be. He needs that time to himself for now. Trust me, he’ll come around eventually. 」

 

Makoto reluctantly stopped in her tracks. She glared at the black-haired nymph for what seems like the longest time, but eventually turned back to the rest of her pod.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  
Akira really didn’t have any destination in particular to head to. He just kept swimming, speeding away until their voices all but became a distant memory ringing uselessly in his head. Eventually, he found himself absentmindedly heading to the grotto. Surfacing his head, he gazed at the pitch black, moonless sky.

 

「 _It’s really late. He probably wouldn’t be here. Still… Anywhere is better than back home right now._ 」

 

Akira knew deep down that they were right to be worried. The rate at which nymphs were disappearing were increasing at an alarming rate. Sources had led their pod as well as many more to find that a single human named ‘Shidou’ was responsible. More recent sources have detailed the significant leadership and power Shidou had, as well as the many underlings that served him. While there are nymph pods specifically composed of fighter nymphs, called _Personas_ , Akira’s pod wasn’t one of them. Their job was to wait with bated breath until the Personas came up with enough resources to take down Shidou and his fleet once and for all.

 

He swam towards the shore and headed to the opening of the cave. The island tonight had a different feel to it than usual, but Akira was too tired out from the swim to have noticed all that much. As he crawled to rest on a rock, his tail stumbled upon something dull. In the blink of an eye, a net quickly dropped from the ceiling of the grotto in response, successfully ensnaring him as he was caught off-guard.

 

「 _What the...? What's going on?!_ 」

 

As he tried to free himself from the tough fibers of the net, he heard loud footsteps coming from outside the grotto. From up above, he could hear the loud, whirring of blades hovering in the air. Four, six, no— ten humans dressed in dark, heavy gear arrived at the mouth of the cave, blocking his only exit. They all approached him slowly, grinning as Akira panicked and hurried his fruitless efforts to escape.

 

“We’ve got him. Come see for yourself.”

 

「 _Is this the “Shidou” human everyone’s been worried about? Will I end up like those poor nymphs that went missing? Why won’t these fibers break, damn it?!_ 」

 

Akira growled, baring his sharp teeth menacingly at the human closest to him. The human merely sneered at him as he lifted his leg above his hands, before swiftly bringing them down and crushing them. The nymph howled in pain as the spikes on the human’s foot dug into the flesh of his trampled fingers. He bit the leg of the human, sinking his jaws with the intent to crush bone, when another human approaching his side hit him with strong currents of electricity. The human held the cursed metal rod against his neck, cackling sadistically, before letting go after what felt like an eternity. By the time the cruel human had let go of the rod, Akira could do nothing but lie there as more humans began to stomp at his weak, exhausted frame, a myriad of spikes raining down on his abused flesh.

 

His swollen eyelids refused to stay open for much longer.

 

His breathing came out in sharp, stuttered rasps.

 

Akira felt himself on the verge of giving out, teetering between consciousness, until he heard familiar light footsteps stepping into the grotto’s entrance.

 

“... Is that him?”

 

Akira’s eyes widened at the sound, despite his muscles screaming at the pain of even the slightest movement.

 

「 _That voice…_  」

 

「 _No._  」

 

「 _It can't be!_  」

 

“Yes. We’ve secured the sea nymph. Where do you want him now, Mr. Goro?”

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle up, we're going on a feels trip

Akira was taken by Akechi and his men without much of a fight. His limp body was already reeling in so much pain. Every now and then, he felt his muscles twitch from the leftover electric currents administered to him before.

 

His pounding head couldn't begin to wrap around what was currently happening. The warm, pleasant memories of the grotto had been overwritten with ones of pain and suffering as the humans mercilessly tortured him. The aching in his muscles and the pain in his trampled joints overwhelmed him, but none of it was nearly as agonizing as the betrayal he felt. Cold, bitter regret started to wash over him as he realized he had been played for a fool by Akechi this whole time. At the same time, however, the nymph couldn't help but wonder if he did something to deserve this. Almost as if to cling onto false hope, Akira started rationalizing away the human's cruel actions. Perhaps Akechi was forced to do this under the threat of someone else. Perhaps he did something wrong to cross the human and never apologized for it. Perhaps... Perhaps......

 

「 Akechi... why...? 」the nymph finally managed to breathe out, with great effort.

 

The human smiled at this, a condescending smirk the looks of which Akira had never seen before.

 

"Did you really think that I was a naive, lovestruck moron just like you? Don't make me laugh," he chuckled, running his fingers through the nymph's hair in a mock sign of affection. Akira gasped, recognizing that the human had been able to understand him this time.

 

"Yes, I've always understood everything you said, all this time. Though it's a shame you still don't. I would love to see the reaction on your face as you realize what an idiot you had been to fall for me like this." He shrugged his shoulders, smiling.

 

"Oh well. We'll fix all of that soon enough, once we get to the lab. For now though, why don't you rest your pretty little head on my lap, for old time's sake?"

 

The sea nymph felt a prick of something sharp, before something was sliding intrusively into his neck. Before he could fight it, a liquid was injected into his bloodstream and severe drowsiness began to flood his entire system. His body crumpled, head falling on the human's lap, as darkness overtook him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Akira woke up alone in a solitary tank, pain dully throbbing everywhere throughout his body. Filtered water circulated inside the tank and passed through his gills. The rest of the room was just as barren as his tank— white ceiling, white windowless walls, and white tile floors as far as the eye can see. He didn't know how long he had been out for, or how much time had passed since his capture. He didn't even know where they had taken him. He grimly wondered if there were others nearby who shared the same fate, locked away in different rooms of the same building.

 

Sea nymphs like Akira and his pod are known to be empathetic social creatures. Their powerful voice could carry for up to two miles away, and its specialized ability allowed for them to communicate freely to their own kind without alerting any other species. This proves especially useful in dire situations, such as when a nymph had been accidentally separated from their pod, or if they needed backup to handle a predator. While nymphs formed small pods that they live with and take care of for most of their lives, they would generally never turn down another nymph in need, even if they did not belong to their immediate pod. Using their unique voice, sea nymphs look out for each other to ensure their species' collective survival. 

 

Worrying that there might be others trapped in the same vicinity, Akira tried to call out for them using his ability. 

 

"Is anyone-"

 

The sea nymph froze, eyes widening in shock at the foreign voice that seemingly came out of hm.

 

「 _Who was that just now? That... No, it couldn't be..._ 」

 

「 _Was that... my voice?!_  」

 

Clutching his throat, he tried again, louder this time. "Someone, _anyone_ , please answer me!!"

 

...

 

"Right here, pet."

 

As if right on cue, the door swung open and in stepped Akechi. Akira gasped, realizing he could fully understand the human now.

 

"Where am I? What did you do to my voice?!" the nymph pressed his hands on the glass of the tank, a mix of fear and rage seething through him upon seeing the smug human.

 

"Ah. I see the translator I had implanted in your throat is working perfectly. I made quite a few...  _modifications_ to you once we arrived. You were out for quite some time, after all."

 

"Modifications...?"

 

It was then that Akira realized the individual sources of all the pain in his body. His once sharp teeth had been filed down excessively, to the point where they had become duller than even the human's. His fingers throbbed and bled after having every last one forcibly declawed. The webbing between his fingers were all but gone. The fins on the side of his tail were taken care of as well, four cleanly cut lacerations in place of his beautiful fins. The sea nymph trembled as he held himself tightly, biting back tears as he refused to accept the horrifying mutilation done to his body.

 

"My fins... my teeth... my body...!! Akechi, why?! Have I done something to deserve all this??"

 

"My, my... you're still quite the naive fool, I see." He chuckled darkly, closing the door and stepping in front of his tank. "Well, I suppose I can explain, now that you understand me."

 

"You see, there is a currently a high demand for research on your species in the scientific field. For the longest time, your kind has done well in hiding from us. The most anyone has heard of you were from legends and myths that had yet to be proven. That all changed when my father, Shidou, caught a live nymph two years ago. While it was a sickly, pathetic thing that died soon after captivity, it was a tremendous accomplishment nonetheless. For the first time in human history, we had finally proven the existence of your kind. To us humans, who know very little about your species, research and development is of the utmost importance. After all, there are several myths that tell of the extraordinary rejuvenating properties of sea nymphs."

 

"After Shidou's accomplishment, word had spread throughout the world. The scientist to first make a breakthrough of findings on your species will become wealthy and famous beyond anyone's wildest dreams." By now, Akechi donned the eerie, wide smile he wore before.

 

"Can't you see, pet? You are the god-given ticket to achieving my dreams. _My_ god-given ticket! Finally, I'll have the fame, the recognition, the wealth I _deserve_. Finally, I'll be necessary and _useful_ in the scientific community. Finally, Shidou will _have_ to acknowledge me!" Akira jumped back as the mad scientist slammed his fists against the tank and stared at the frightened nymph with deranged glee.

 

"And all it took were some sweet words and a kiss to fool an innocent numbskull like you."

 

The room seem to spin for Akira as realization pierced him deep like a harpoon. Those feelings, those tender moments together, the kiss— they had had all been... but a one-sided lie.

 

The nymph tried to bite back the tears that threatened to overflow.

 

"I can't lose this opportunity. Not now, not when I have come so far. I had even modified your body to make you an easier subject for me. Took away your fins and webbing to prevent you from escaping. Took away your venomous teeth and claws to prevent you from fighting back. Really, I'm quite shocked to see just how powerful you could be when left unaltered. The autopsy of one of my men was quite... gruesome indeed." The scientist took out a large remote control and dialed several buttons. In no time, the water of the tank begun to drain out from an unplugged hole in the bottom of his tank. The glass panel of the tank opened once all the water had been drained completely, and Akechi held out something slim and leathery in front of him.

 

A collar.

 

"If you want to survive, I suggest you behave. There's not much you can do anymore without your teeth and claws, but I wouldn't be surprised if you started to get creative."

 

Glaring at the human he once loved, Akira turned his head away. He had already faced the humiliation of having his body mutilated against his will. He refused to sink any further.

 

"I thought this would be the case." The scientist swiftly kicked the nymph in the ribs, sending him reeling in pain on his back. Not missing a beat, he raised his foot and slowly crushed the stitching on his old injury. Akira screamed.

 

"The one you called 'Futaba' was very perceptive, I have to admit. She was right to question how I was able to meet up with you without fail every time. I would have played along with your little love game for a little longer, too, if it weren't for her deductions and the growing suspicions. What a shame. I would have loved to stall for more time until I had enough manpower to capture your entire pod."

 

The nymph whimpered in pain, uselessly trying to get away from the brutal assault.

 

"You... you wouldn't..."

 

"Why, of course I would. The device I stitched here inside your injury helped immensely in tracking your whereabouts. Thanks to you, I know the general location of your entire pod. Perhaps, if you prove to be an inefficient nymph to experiment on, I'll just have to capture more subjects for my research? I'm sure if not you, I'll find little Ann or Haru to be more... _pleasant_ to cooperate with."

 

Akira gasped. Futaba... was right after all. And with this came another horrifying revelation: he had put his entire pod in danger. This human had proven he knew so much information on them already, he no longer could take any chances.

 

「   _No! This is my fault... I can't let him target anyone else. I can't let any more nymphs go missing._ 」

 

With a defeated expression, he resignedly lifted his head up, allowing Akechi to lock the collar in place around his neck.

 

There's no turning back now.

 

"Excellent. Let's get started, shall we?"

 

 

* * *

 

 

Akira eventually learned how to tell time by the schedule of events that happened each day.

 

The day started with breakfast and pills. If either of those things were left uneaten before the next thing on the schedule, he would have the collar around his neck administer a strong shock throughout his body. Akechi had once told him that his species can tolerate being administered a level lethal to humans, but it was still undeniably painful the higher the setting is dialed.  
  
After breakfast would be the first experiment of the day. It differed each time, based on what Akechi was interested in learning on that day. Sometimes they gave him puzzles to solve, recording the time it took for him to finish. Sometimes he was given a pill or a small cup of syrup to swallow, with varying effects. Some of them made him ill, and others had done... odd things to his body. A lot of them had even induced vivid hallucinations; sometimes the drug-induced illusions were so warm and comforting, he couldn't help but break down when the hallucinations faded away into the empty white walls of his room. No matter the outcome, the scientist always made sure to take care of him after the experiments, just barely enough to keep him alive for the next day of trials. If the first experiment had no adverse effects, he was cleared for a second experiment that day.  
  
The second experiments were not much different in nature as the first. If he wasn't already from the first, he was usually left exhausted after. After that, he was given his dinner and another batch of vitamin pills before being sent off to his tank for the night.

 

The days blurred by as he continued following this daily schedule. When he was not being experimented on, Akira was left to himself in the barren tank. During the day, he sometimes hallucinates being back home under the influences of the experiments. During the night, he is often plagued by recurring nightmares of Akechi or the other humans rounding up the rest of his pod. As days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, the sea nymph feels himself falling bit by bit into the ever growing chasm of despair inside of him.

 

Akira curled up tightly on himself, after having woken up from another nightmare.

 

Where did everything go so wrong...?

 

 

* * *

 

 

One morning, something inside him had changed. The nymph woke up to an odd, unfamiliar itch, crawling under his skin. Despite the sheer coldness of the water in the tank, his body quickly grew hotter in temperature. Akira pressed himself against the tank, seeking any form of relief from the uncomfortable growing heat pooling in his core. A soft moan escaped his lips as he shuddered against the cool surface. The cold glass felt so unbelievably _good_ against his skin right now.

 

「   _What's going on? What's happening to my body?!_  」His brain scrambled desperately for answers.

 

As a young sea nymph, he was used to having mild pre-heats once every three months. A pre-heat was nothing compared to a full-on heat, the former being mildly uncomfortable at best while the latter can quickly drive a nymph mad if not properly taken care of. The only nymphs old enough in his pod to have experienced regular heats would be Yusuke and Makoto. Akira shouldn't be due for an actual heat until a year later, at the very least.

 

But the raging heat under his skin, the extreme sensitivity of his body, the copious amount of slick being produced inside him, threatening to spill out of his puffy slit and run down his tail...

 

The sensations he felt were like nothing he had ever experienced. It was definitely no ordinary fever, and it felt all too much... too extreme for a pre-heat...

 

Captured by humans and trapped in a laboratory tank all alone, Kurusu Akira underwent his very first real heat.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, s o 
> 
> I know I promised angst *and* smut this chapter, but I felt this chapter was already running a bit long and I didn't want to rush the smut because g o d I had so much planned for poor Akira. Please forgive me. I'll dedicate the entire next chapter to how our local mad scientist handles a young nymph's first heat, don't worry. 
> 
> Pls enjoy, and remember, comments are love ❤️


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy, my children

By the time Akechi entered the room with his breakfast, Akira had already been reduced to a panting mess. The nymph didn't even seem to be cognizant of the scientist in the room at first, so lost was he in his own heat. Setting the bucket to the side, the scientist dialed the buttons on his remote, draining the water from the tank and opening the front panel to get a better look at his subject.

 

Eyes heavy-lidded and mouth ajar, a constant stream of soft moans and gasps escaped the nymph's plush lips as he lewdly sprawled out against the wall of the tank. One hand desperately stroked his member, now fully unsheathed and painfully hard, while the other busied itself tweaking at a nipple. His tail was practically drenched in the thick ropes of slick dripping out of his slit. The nymph slowly lifted his head, glassy eyes begging and feverish as they met the gaze of the scientist.

Akechi merely smirked at him. What a sight he was, indeed.

 

"You... Food..."

 

"What was that?"

 

"You... poisoned... my food... didn't you...?" the nymph grunted out, voice breathless as his hands picked up the pace.

 

"Not 'poisoned', 'enriched'. I took great lengths to obtain you as my own subject. You are my god-given ticket to fame, after all. It would be pointless to only kill you off now, wouldn't it?"

 

With one hand, Akechi grabbed Akira by the wrists and pinned him to the ground, taking full advantage of the nymph in his powerless, dazed state. With his other, gloved hand, he ran a finger through the trail of slick on his tail, causing an involuntarily shudder out of Akira.

 

"The food and pills I had you ingest were chock full of growth hormones. I won't be able to properly conduct my research on sea nymphs without a mature one as my subject, after all. If I really had my way, you would have already been sexually mature from the start before you came into my hands, but I suppose life doesn't always work out that way." He shrugged his shoulders loosely, smiling. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't complain. What matters is that I have what I want now, and in only a mere four months, too."

 

Curious about the source of the thick liquid, Akechi traced his finger upward until he found the entrance to his slit, hidden under a rough flap of sturdy scales. The scientist's eyes widened at the discovery.

 

"My... so sea nymphs of both genders are hermaphroditic in nature, I see... This really proves it, then. The female captured by Shidou was as well, though it was a shame she had died before any real fun began." Akechi chuckled lightly, as if responding to a joke instead of the brutal treatment of a creature in his father's hands.

 

Akira cried out at the sudden intrusion he felt. Just now, the human had slid his finger inside of him without warning. He bucked his hips back, trying desperately to prevent him from entering any further, but his body seemed to have other plans for him. To his shame and horror, he found his body rutting back and forth against Akechi's finger, unable to stop himself no matter how much he wanted to.

 

「  _No, stop...! I don't want this! Not like this!_   」

 

"Just look at you. Do all sea nymphs become this desperate during their heats? Or are you just that much of a slut for me?"

 

He clenched his pinned hands into fists, frustrated at his helplessness and complacency as Akechi entered a second, a third, a fourth finger inside him with ease. Thrusting deep and relentlessly until his fingers brushed against a gland inside that made him throw his head back and stutter out a gasp. His face burned as he felt more slick gush out from under him and into the scientist's hand.

 

"Interesting... I must say, I'm truly grateful for this wonderful hands-on experiment. Say, will you tell me more about these 'heats' you experience? How long does a typical one last? How often do they occur? What does a typical mating in the wild entail?"

 

Akira found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything else as the fingers continued their merciless assault on his sensitive gland. He couldn't bite back the lewd, needy sounds spilling from his mouth as he rocked into the scientist's fingers. His neglected member pressed into his abdomen, painfully hard with need and glistening with dribbles of precum at the tip. At this point, his entire body was fire incarnate. He felt his bones slowly melting into a puddle of ecstasy before him. It wouldn't be long until Akechi had him completely unraveled.

 

He was so close now...

 

Akira whined, writhing at the sudden loss of the fingers inside him. With a loud, squelching *pop*, Akechi had withdrew from him, leaving him sore, exhausted, and frustratingly empty. The black haired nymph whimpered, bucking his hips uselessly at the empty air as Akechi held his slicked fingers far away from him.

 

"If you aren't going to cooperate, I suppose I have to conduct research myself. Well, no matter. I can't simply trust your word as truth, anyways."

 

Two male assistants in white suddenly appeared in the room, each taking one of his arms and slinging it across their shoulder, hoisting his limp body upright.

 

"I'll be leaving now to examine these fluid samples in the lab. Robin, Loki, please take him to Room 342. Run the experiment I had written out for you, and take careful, detailed notes of your findings. Make sure to prep him well before I return."

 

 

* * *

 

 

The assistants dragged his body to a small room down the hall. They secured his wrists and tail tightly to a metal table in the middle of the room, blindfolded him, and brought thick muffs to his earfins that sufficiently blocked his hearing. Before Akira can even imagine what the humans were going to do to him next in such a vulnerable state, he felt it.

 

Fingers opening the rough flap of scales.

 

Gently tracing the outline of his slit.

 

Inserting a foreign, egg-shaped device, pushing it deeper inside of him until it was snugly situated on his sensitive gland.

 

A warm, tight sleeve encasing his hard member to the hilt.

 

The actions alone would have been enough to bring him closer to the edge, but the new deprivation of his sight and hearing compounded the intensity even further. Without being able to see or hear anything, his heated body had no choice but to desperately rely on his already sensitized sense of touch to get a grasp of his surroundings. He writhed in his restraints, hard leather straps digging into flesh. A litany of "No", "I don't want this", and incoherent pleas babbling uselessly from his mouth.

 

"Initiating experiment."

 

Akira's eyes rolled back, back arching and limbs straining against the straps as the peculiar devices began to vibrate. Any rational thought that had remained in his head melted away with his feverish body as the heightened sensations quickly overwhelmed the sea nymph. The vibrating of the egg-device flush against his sensitive gland, coupled with the vibrating of the sleeve encasing his previously neglected member...

 

It was all too much, too good, too-

 

White sparks burst across his blinded vision as the leather restraints held his trembling body through his first orgasm. After Akechi's ministrations, it didn't take long at all for him to finish. His limp body shuddered as the sleeve milked his cock for his seed, not letting a single drop go to waste, before slowly shutting off. The egg-device had stopped its vibrations soon after. Akira sank into the metal table, his breathing stuttering despite his body relaxing after the waves of ecstasy washed over him. He hadn't realized he had been crying until he felt the dampness of the blindfold sticking the cloth to the skin of his face.

 

"Round one of the experiment complete. Subject's body seems to react similarly to humans when placed in conditions of sensory deprivation. A sperm sample has been collected for lab work."

 

"Now initiating round two."

 

Without any warning, Akira felt both devices start back up, vibrations a notch stronger. To his horror, he found his body raring to go again, cock hard and flush against his abdomen as if his first orgasm hadn't _just_ happened. The nymph bucked his hips wildly, torn between wanting to shake the device off and wanting to thrust himself into it.

 

"... Interesting. Subject does not seem to exhibit a refractory period upon one orgasm."

 

"Let us continue and see what his limit truly is, then. If he even has one at all."

 

On and on it went, the two scientists unrelenting in carrying out multiple rounds of "experiments" despite Akira's pleas. The vibrating devices were dialed up with each round, gradually increasing the strength and amount of pleasure until they had been set to the highest possible setting. After a few more rounds, the sleeve began to couple suckling motions to its vibrations, prompting an overstimulated Akira to arch his taut back against the restraints, moaning and begging to stop, keep going, finish him, anything.

 

The nymph had eventually lost track of how many rounds after what he counted to be his seventh orgasm. He had stopped coming after that as well. From that point on, every orgasm forcefully milked out of him ended in a dry, pathetic shudder. Even then, after countless orgasms, he still had no trouble getting hard or producing slick under the stimulations, body still as eager as it was during his first.

 

It made him sick to his stomach.

 

It didn't take long for him to eventually lie still, exhausted, defeated, yet still aroused and very receptive due to the effects of the heat. After several rounds, he no longer had the energy to even twitch one of his fingers, much less trash against his restraints. He no longer had any tears left in him, either. He felt numb and tingly throughout his whole body, skin still hot and feverish against the warm metal of the table, before he felt his mind slowly sinking into cold, unfeeling darkness.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Akira slowly cracked his eyes open, wincing at the harsh fluorescent lighting of the ceiling above him. He was all alone in the room now, still strapped down to the metal table, but with the blindfold and muffs taken off. At some point he must have passed out. Not even the shock collar had been enough to wake him up. He dimly wondered if that was what made the two scientists finally stop.

 

He looked down at the mess that was his body. His cock, still unsheathed from his tail, was standing at half mast. The flap of scales that hid his entrance was still wide open, exposing his slick, wet cunt to the air. Even after the two scientists took sample after sample of his fluids, his tail remained soaked in copious amounts of his slick. Akira shuddered in disgust, revolted at the shameful way his heat made his body react to the rape that aided the humans' "research". He gritted his teeth.

 

「 _This isn't right... This isn't how it's supposed to be! My first time should've been special! Not like this!_   」

 

Akira bit back tears. He thought back to Yusuke, and what the older sea nymph had taught him of what a nymph's first heat would be like. Of how wonderful, passionate, and intimate the experience would be for Akira. Of how it was a rite of passage that all sea nymphs goes through to finally blossom into maturity. Of how it was something Akira should look forward to.

 

All of that would be meaningless to him now.

 

Yusuke. Oh, how he missed him. There was no real way for him to tell how much time had passed in the lab, but judging from Akechi's words, it has been about four months. Four months since his capture. Four months since he last saw his pod.

 

He missed them all dearly. Yusuke and his passion for all things artistic. Futaba and her quirkiness. Haru and her compassionate heart. Hell, he even missed the constant fights Ryuji had with Morgana. Everyone had graciously taken him in when his parents had merely abandoned him. Everyone had tried their hardest to raise him in a loving, supportive environment. He may not have been related by blood to any of them, but his pod was his family.

 

What a fool he had been to take them all for granted.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Akechi walked down the hall and headed to Room 342, an eager smile plastered on his face. He had locked himself up in the lab for the last couple of hours, entrusting the subject to his assistants as he himself ran test after test on the samples they had collected. He was always meticulous in his work, but especially so in this particular case.

 

He had to be.

 

He had lied to the nymph about the true nature of his experiments. While he had heard of the rejuvenating properties that sea nymphs had, Akechi had no interest in researching that just yet. If he were, he would have to perform vivisections on his subject to really ascertain those claims. He would have to risk exposing his rare subject to surgeries with a high mortality rate. Obtaining this nymph was a god-sent miracle in the first place. Who knows when he might get his hands on another?

 

His _real_ research would require the nymph to be alive and healthy.

 

The standard growth hormones used had proven to be effective. They had sped up the growth and production of sexual hormones in the sea nymph's body without procuring any undesired consequences. In repeated clinical tests, his subject had shown to be extremely fertile during the time of his heat.

 

If all goes well, his findings might lead to a scientific breakthrough. Discovering a new aquatic mammalian species is big enough as it is. But if his hypothesis is correct, then the tree of life model and evolutionary science as the world currently knows it might change significantly. If he can prove that this non-human species is able to breed with humans, then it would vastly change the way the scientific community had been defining "species" for years. His findings might shine new light on a vast number of questions to be answered about evolutionary science and the true origin of species.

 

And of course, such a massive scientific breakthrough would no doubt propel him to fame and influence within the scientific community. Goro Akechi, the disowned bastard child of a prominent scientist, would have the praise and respect he was wrongfully denied of all his life. And perhaps, with that growing fame and influence, he could finally seek revenge against his father, Masayoshi Shidou, for abandoning him to a life of misery. With enough public support on his side, he could out his covered-up scandals, bribed experiments, and dirty, inhumane scientific practices to the public and ensure that no one looks up the Masayoshi name again.

 

After all this time, he could return the favor and sentence his father to a life a hell the way he had to him ever since his birth.

 

All there was left to do now is to conduct the experiment himself, before the nymph comes out of his heat. He would test his hypothesis and see whether or not he could create viable offspring with his subject.

 

With that, Goro Akechi opened the door to Room 342, set out on impregnating the captive sea nymph.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we are. The promised goods have finally been delivered. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 
> 
> None of this is set in stone, but I am thinking of extending this fic to possibly 6-7 chapters. I haven't tortured Akira to my satisfaction just yet, huhuhu. Depending on what I end up feeling like writing, 5 chapters might not be enough to wrap it all up, either.
> 
> Also, I am still 50/50 on whether or not I should have Akechi redeem himself (like in game) or write an alternate who's just so bitter and hellbent on revenge that he takes it all out on poor Akira. To be honest, I can see the fic going both ways and don't seem to have a preference for one over the other... 
> 
> What do you think? Which ending would you rather see? Should Akira eventually be rescued? Would you like to see more merman smut? Let me know in the comments ❤️


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does Goro Akechi like his eggs?
> 
> ᶠᵉʳᵗᶤˡᶤᶻᵉᵈ

Akira barely acknowledged the scientist at the door. He knew that Akechi was most likely here to initiate the second experiment of the day. He only prayed that this wouldn't be the case. He was already exhausted from the multiple rounds of "experiments" previous; frankly, he didn't know if he had any energy left in him to even move, much less endure whatever else the scientist might have planned for him.

 

In all four months of being held captive, the sea nymph had seen quite a bit already. From being forced to ingest medicine that made him violently ill, to undergoing extreme conditions that tested his body's limit, Akira was confident enough to say he had a lot of experience with Akechi's practices by now. But the nature of today's "experiments" was by far nothing like he had ever endured. This had just been... too much. Too cruel. What was supposed to be a pure, intimate experience for him had been ripped away right before his very eyes— tainted before he even had a chance to explore it. As if that wasn't enough, they had even forced his part in the process. As much as he despised them for what they've done, he could never forgive his body for shamefully encouraging their actions, either. He felt as if his body had betrayed him, had willingly _let_ them rape him.

 

Akira had never been more ashamed of himself in his life.

 

"Please, just take me back to the tank, Akechi," the nymph rasped out, throat still hoarse from earlier. "You had your assistants collect enough... _samples_ of me already, didn't you? I’m in no condition for another test today. Just ask Robin and Loki if you don't believe me."

 

Akechi casually walked over to the metal table, hands fiddling with the straps that held him down. When the scientist didn't actually release him like he had expected him to, Akira turned his head to his direction.

 

"Akechi...? What are you-"

 

The nymph didn't get a chance to finish as he felt soft, familiar lips parting his into an electrifying kiss— not unlike the one they had shared in the grotto ages ago. He whined softly, torn between wanting to break away from the kiss and wanting to simply melt into it. In his heated state, Akira also couldn't help but feel his body's heightened sensitivity and receptiveness; he felt nothing but shame course through his veins as every dull scrape of teeth on his lips, every drag of tongue, lit every nerve in him on fire. It made him sick to feel Akechi’s arms around him, in a twisted parody of a lover’s embrace, but the nymph felt himself eventually give in to the touch.

 

Just as suddenly as he had started it, Akechi had been the one to break the kiss. He lifted his head to better admire the trail of saliva left on the nymph's, abused lips, slowly running down his chin. Cupping his face with both hands, the scientist lifted his head to kiss Akira's glassy, half-lidded eyes, in a surprisingly tender show of affection.

 

"Oh don't worry, pet," he assured him, thumb swirling on the hollow of his cheekbone. "They've told me _all_ about how much you enjoyed helping out with our research today, but it seems that you still haven’t had nearly enough yet. After all, even after all their help my poor test subject is still left to suffer, tormented by his own heat...” He lowered his voice to a husky whisper, slowly leaning forward until his lips stood a mere inch away from the sensitive fins of his ears. “Though I suppose that just means I have to step in and save you myself, _hm?_ ”

 

“Don’t worry, pet. This time, I won’t stop until I make sure to stuff you full of my seed. I’ll make sure you come out of your heat, one way or another.”

 

The scientist licked along the fringes of his fin, earning a delightful gasp from the sea nymph as the terrifying implication hit him. He began to thrash wildly in his restraints as he felt Akechi’s lips on the edges of his sensitive ear, previous exhaustion leaving his body as a new mix of terror and desperation took its place.

 

“No…! No, no! This isn’t- this isn’t what I want! Please! I don’t want anymore; I don’t want-”

 

Akechi thumbed over the head of the nymph’s cock, effectively cutting off his pitiful babbling with a wet, strangled moan. He continued to tease the hot, engorged organ in his hand as he slowly made his way down the nymph’s feverish body. His neck, his collarbone, his chest, nipples, stomach— no part of Akira went unnoticed as Akechi sought out to mark every inch of his skin with his teeth and lips. He noticed that the sea nymph kept his head to the side the entire time, straining to hide behind his restricted arms the lewd sounds that threatened to spill forth and the tears that ran freely down his face. The scientist had to admit how _exquisite_ he was like this— sweaty hair fanning over his defeated expression, arms spread on the table as his body laid completely at his mercy, dripping cunt practically begging to be bred full of pups. Splayed out on the exam table like this, the nymph simply screamed of _debauched virgin slut_.

 

If this is how it would be every time he had his heat, Akechi wouldn’t mind running more “experiments” on him. Hell, he might just have to develop something to induce his heats more often.

 

Just because this process had a more important end goal, does not mean he couldn’t enjoy himself along the way.

 

“What’s wrong, Akira? Don’t tell me you’ve never dreamed of having me like this? I’ve seen the way you made eyes at me in the grotto, like the lovesick puppy you were. Aren’t I giving you what you wanted all along?”

 

The nymph shut his eyes, face burning in anger and shame. He knew Akechi always took pleasure in rubbing salt into his wounds; he would not grant him any more satisfaction by gracing it with a response.

 

Not that it mattered much, as his own body didn’t seem to want to listen.

 

The hand that rubbed at the head of the nymph’s cock slowly began to stroke him off as well. With his other hand, Akechi scooped up the slick running down his tail and stuffed them back into his puffy hole, wrenching a sob from his throat. The scientist then began to thrust at the same pace of his strokes, matching his rhythm and adjusting the angle of his fingers slightly each time until a litany of desperate pleas and cries started anew from under him.

 

“It’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking. I expected better from you, pet.” He hooked his fingers teasingly, brushing against his sensitive gland over and over until Akechi had turned the nymph into putty in his hands.

 

"Stop! Please, I- Aagh! I’m s-soooorryyyyy… I’msorryI’msorry please-!!”

 

“Then please answer my question.”

 

“Y-yes, you… are…!”

 

“I am _what_?” A particularly hard thrust punctuated the question. Akira felt a jolt spasm throughout his whole body at that, groaning as he felt himself coat the human’s fingers with another gush of his slick.

 

“You- ah! Are! Y-you are… givi- ngh! Me... what I... w-want…!”

 

Akira whined needily as the fingers inside of him suddenly pulled out. His body felt empty at the loss, his hole fluttering at nothing as if trying to suck his fingers back inside.

 

“Akechi…?” Akira looked up at the human, trying to discern what was happening, and widened his eyes at the sight.

 

Akechi was now completely naked from the waist down. He squirmed as the human climbed on top of him, unsure if what he was feeling was fear, arousal, or a combination of the two

 

“Wait, please n-not yet, I’ve never had-” his protests were suddenly cut off, muffled by a rough hand cover his mouth. Akechi drunk in the lovely sight of the nymph underneath him as he straddled him on the table.

 

“Sorry, pet. I can’t hold out any longer; you’re simply too tempting for me like this.”

 

Akira keened, back arching and muscles going tense as he felt the human breach his body. He couldn’t believe any of this was actually happening. Goro Akechi—the human who had saved his life, the man whom he had fallen for in the past— was now forcing himself inside him. _Raping_ _him_. He shivered as he sensed possessive hands on his body, feeling himself going limp on the table as Akechi slid himself all the way to the hilt.

 

Akechi sighed, eyes half-lidded in bliss as he felt the tight, slick walls of the nymph spasm around his cock. Akira’s body felt just as wonderful as he had imagined him to be. Hands gripped the boy tightly as he started to thrust into him— slowly at first, but gradually picking up in speed and strength until they were hard enough to rock the nymph’s body on the table. Akira’s cock bounced in rhythm with Akechi’s hips, smearing precum all over his stomach.

 

Akira was prettiest when his body drowned in pleasure like this— brows knit together, eyes shut tight, mouth agape as a stream of gasps and pleas unwittingly flowed from his soft lips. That’s why the scientist loved to explore the many ways he could bring the him to that point. Sliding fingers across his tongue as he slowly finger-fucked his mouth. Grazing teeth onto hardened, sensitive nubs on his chest. Gliding hot, wet tongue across his neck. And, best of all, watching Akira slowly unravel from it all, pushing at his limit until he was too far gone. It was a captivating sight to see the nymph struggle to hold onto the last vestiges of his dignity while the rest of his pliant, sensitive body indulged in the sinful touches.

 

“Agh! Ake...chiii, please...! Don’t… nngh! Stop… I... c-can't take ah-any... anymore...!"

 

The sea nymph wailed brokenly as he came, clear fluid spurting weakly from the head of his cock. Akechi could feel his body convulsing, tight walls spasming around him until he too was brought to orgasm. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on Akira’s chest, listening to the steady sound of the nymph’s heartbeat.

 

“Pretty soon, you’ll have another heartbeat growing inside of you too,” he murmured tiredly, patting Akira’s stomach. “Right here. Who knows, maybe there will be two, three, or even more.”

 

“And we’ll try again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, until you either come out of your heat or successfully carry my children.”

 

A weak sob was the only response he received. They both lied still on the table together, panting and catching their breaths as they let the remaining waves of pleasure wash over them.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your interesting suggestions in the last chapter! As you can see, I updated the fic to have 7 chapters instead of the previous 5. Two more chapters to go! What will happen next to poor Akira? Will we get to see Akira's cute pups? Will I ever stop being a slut for comments on my fics?? Find out all that and more on the next chapter!
> 
> If you have any more suggestions, ideas, or would just like to leave a little love, feel free to leave them down below in the comments ❤️


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of hurt from here on out before the eventual(?) comfort, so strap on tight

It had been half a year now. Six entire months since Akira had gone missing.

 

They had all grown anxious when he hadn’t returned to the cove after five days since that fateful night. Everyone’s stayed out a night or two away once in awhile, but any longer than that at a time was dangerous; a lone sea nymph is easy prey for even a small pod of ravenous killer whales, among other deadlier things. It’s why all nymphs join or form a pod of their own— as a matter of survival. While Akira was a fast swimmer, there’s no way he would be able to survive an orca mega hunt all by himself. And they knew it wasn’t like him at all to hold a grudge for that long, or to up and leave the pod permanently without at least some sort of notice. Something was wrong. They knew they had to find Akira.

 

The pod had busied themselves for days on end, contacting others and leaving no inch of the depths uninvestigated. Not a day went by without attempting something, anything, to find him. As time flew by with no luck whatsoever, they only continued their desperate search even harder. They all knew there was always the chance that he had met an unfortunate end with the orcas, but everyone had pushed those thoughts to the side.

 

They wanted to _believe_.

 

They wanted to believe that he was still out there, somewhere, waiting for them to come to his rescue because something was wrong, and Akira needed their help now more than ever. They wanted to believe that their Akira wasn’t dead in the maws of an orca, or harpooned by a human on sight, or a myriad of other gruesome scenarios that haunted every one of their nightmares every night. After days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, believing was all they had at this point. They had all worried themselves sick all this time, but Makoto and Morgana from the pod had suffered especially. Morgana, who blamed himself for letting Akira go off that night, and Makoto, who blamed herself for not chasing after him after she had been _so close_ ; every night, they couldn’t help but be tormented by countless 「 _what-if’s_ 」and「 _if-only’s_ 」that reminded them of how they had failed both Akira and the rest of their pod.「 _If only time could rewind,_ 」they thought,「 _if only we had done things differently, Akira would be safe at home with us._ 」

 

They had only stopped their search when another nymph they had contacted previous had caught the scent of Akira’s dried blood mingled with that of another human’s in the grotto Akira often visited.

 

「 His body was nowhere to be found, 」the nymph had said. 「 I can only hope that this means he’s alive out there, on the surface, along with the others that had gone missing. 」

 

From that point on, they could do no more but alert the Personas and hope for the best. Not everyone had been happy with just that, of course. Ryuji was furious that they couldn’t save Akira themselves. Haru had held back tears at the prospect that Akira might have to wait even longer— if he even had any time left to wait —for a rescue. And Morgana and Makoto couldn’t help but feel like they were abandoning him yet again. Still, the pod knew it would be plain suicide if they themselves went after Shidou— the suspected human behind all of the recent cases of missing nymphs, and the person whom they suspected had kidnapped Akira. The Personas, a large pod composed exclusively of mysterious fighter nymphs with the unique ability to shift, were the only ones well-equipped to deal with land creatures like Shidou. Hailed as the heroes of the depths, the Personas are an organized vigilante group that seemingly arose out of nowhere, and had never lost a single battle since; no matter the enemy, they always returned home with the heads of those they vanquished without fail. All the pod could do now is patiently wait for the Personas’ return. The pod had no doubt that they can finish the job; what worried them was that, by then, it might just be too late for Akira.

 

* * *

 

It had been half a year now.

 

Six entire months since Akira had gone missing.

 

So when the Personas finally arrived at the entrance of their cove with a limp body cradled in their arms, of course they hadn’t known how to react. The pod was a jumbled mix of emotions spilling over all at once. _Joy_ , because the return of the Personas had meant that Shidou, Akechi, or whoever had been responsible had finally been apprehended once and for all, and justice has been served for all the nymphs that had suffered under their hands. _Shock_ , because it had been six months, six long, god-awful months, since Akira’s disappearance; so many questions were left unasked as they stared at them dumbfoundedly, as if prying their eyes off of them would cause this long-awaited illusion to disappear forever. _Apprehension_ , because why were their expressions so somber and glum if they had succeeded? They had succeeded, right? They _had_ found their Akira, hadn’t they?

 

And, finally, _sheer horror_ as they realized that the unconscious, mutilated body in their arms _was_ their Akira.

 

Everyone had just stood there for the longest time, eyes wide and mouth agape as they stared at every inch of the nearly-unrecognizable body they held. Where did the nymph they had grown to care for end, and the cruel marks of abuse begin? His impossibly thin frame looked so fragile to the touch that they were surprised he didn’t crumble into sea foam right in front of their very eyes. His pale, ashen skin was dotted with deep, purple bruises and dull teeth marks that spanned all throughout his body. A dark ring resembling the mark of a collar had permanently singed into the skin of his neck. The once beautiful scales that lined his tail and body no longer shimmered any brighter than the charcoal black of his messy hair. The tail itself was missing the four, powerful fins Akira had on the side; in its place were four, deep scars that contrasted heavily with the dull black scales. _And his hands_ ; his hands must have been the worst to look at out of everything else— the webbing between his fingers completely sliced away and the once powerful claws reduced to nothing but bony, disfigured stumps. If it weren’t for the soft, barely noticeable rise and fall of his prominent ribs, they all would have thought that they were looking at a badly mutilated corpse.

 

Was all of this… truly what was left of Akira? What had the humans done to him…?

 

It wasn’t until Yusuke cleared his throat that Morgana, Makoto, and Haru snapped out of their trance and carried his body inside. Once they laid him down on a smooth bed of rock, Haru gathered the sea herbs she had grown in her garden, and nimbly stripped the juices from the leaves to make a healing salve for the marks and bruises on his skin. Morgana and Makoto left Akira in her hands, knowing that this was her area of expertise, and turned back to the Personas still standing at the entrance.

 

「 He’s alive, thankfully. But he’s in very bad shape… as you can all probably see. It took us a quite while before we could even find the location of the facility. The facility he was held in… was very different than anything we’ve ever seen; it was connected only by a well-hidden passage to the main facilities where the others had been held, and it was so out-of-sight that we had almost missed it... 」the nymph trailed off, looking down with a solemn expression before another continued for her.

 

「 It was a good thing that we hadn't, because unlike in the main facilities, he was the only nymph who had seemed to be kept alive. 」

 

A mix of gasps resounded in response. So the other nymphs hadn't made it home, after all… It was a terrifying prospect to think Akira could've been one of them, but at least he had been found. At least he was safe and still alive now.

 

「 And what about Shidou? Did you give the bastard what he deserved? 」Ryuji asked.

 

「 Shidou, yes. His head now hangs on display in the Centre Square, in memory of all the fallen nymphs who had suffered in his hands. But… 」the nymph paused, seemingly troubled by the next piece of information he was still withholding.

 

「 But… what's wrong? 」

 

「 Well… Before we executed Shidou, he had admitted to performing vivisections and preserving every nymph he had caught. This was verified by all of the preserved corpses and… dismembered limbs we saw of the missing nymphs. But if he had admitted to killing every nymph he had caught, why had Akira been the only one to remain alive? And why was he alone kept in a hidden facility separate from the main building? At the time before his death, Shidou had told nothing but the truth of his crimes. What reason would he have to lie _only_ about Akira? 」

 

「 After a careful investigation in the matter… we found evidence pointing to another human involved, someone else acting under Shidou. But that evidence is weak, and by the time we had taken care of Shidou, we could not find any trace of the other human anywhere. The only living being we found in the hidden facility was Akira. 」

 

Everyone's eyes widened at the news. So the true culprit, the one to have taken Akira and done those horrible things to him, _is still at large?_ The Personas sensed the anger and dismay brewing, and lowered their heads.

 

「 Please know that we have done our very best to solve this case. But the other human had already long disappeared by the time we found the facility. There was… nothing else we could have done. 」

 

For a while, they all just stood there, stunned. The Personas... They've always heard of the rumors, but they've never thought that they would ever get to see them in person in such a way, much less have them hand-deliver one of their pod members right at their doorstep. Yusuke cleared his throat and was the first to bow, prompting everyone else to follow suit.

 

「 We understand, and we are more than grateful for your efforts. Without your work, we might have never seen our pod member ever again. 」

 

「 Yeah, don't sweat it! You guys are the best! 」

 

「 We'll take care of Akira from here. Thank you for doing your part! 」

 

「 We can't thank you enough for the work you do. You truly are the heroes of the depths! 」

 

* * *

 

 

For the next few days, everyone in the pod took turns watching over the unconscious nymph. At least one nymph was stationed to wait nearby to make sure that Akira wouldn't be alone when he finally woke up. Haru’s herbal healing salve had done wonders to the gruesome marks on his flesh; within only two days, nearly all of them had fully healed, and Akira’s skin looked as good as new. Still, they puzzled over what to do about his badly mutilated hands and tail, as well as how to best approach the nymph once he came to. They had so many questions to ask him, so many things they wanted to say, but they knew that hounding him all at once would not do anyone any good.

 

All they could do for now is patiently wait until Akira wakes up.

 

「 Hey, hey, do you think he's gonna wake up soon? 」 Ryuji bounced up and down. Today was his and Ann’s turn at staying home and watching over him, while everyone else was gone gathering food for the pod. It had been five days since the Personas had stopped by, and Akira was gradually looking healthier with each day than when they first saw him. He was breathing easier now, his skin is back to its normal lively color, and he was stirring more and more in his sleep. If they were lucky, maybe he would even wake up during their shift.

 

「 I sure hope so. The sleepyhead’s been out for almost a week now! 」Ann squeezed Akira’s hand, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt him faintly squeeze back.

 

「 What? What's wrong? 」

 

「 It's Akira…! I think he's waking up! 」

 

「 Oh shit, oh shit! Shouldn't we go tell everyone else?? 」

 

「 Shh, Ryuji! You're being too loud. Give him some space! 」

 

「 What? You're being just as loud as me! 」

 

「 Am not! 」

 

「 Are too! 」

 

“Ann…? Ryuji?”

 

Amidst their arguing, they didn't notice that Akira had opened his eyes. All at once, they clamored towards him.

 

「 Hey, buddy! You're awake! It's your pal, Ryuji! 」

 

「 Akira! How are you doing? Is everything okay? Are you hurt anywhere?? 」

 

The black haired nymph slowly sat up and looked around at his surroundings. He seemed a bit spooked, as if he was afraid of where he now was. Then, he hesitantly reached his arms to touch Ann’s hand, before pulling her into a tight hug.

 

「 Akira?? 」

 

In her shock, Ann squirmed against the sudden touch. Akira only held her tighter.

 

“I don't know when these drugs will wear off, or when you guys will disappear again. But please, just stay with me a little longer this time. Don't leave me just yet…”

 

Ann and Ryuji froze on the spot.

 

「 Akira… 」Ryuji started, questioning if his earfins had failed him the first time, 「 What did you just say...? 」

 

「 Akira, say that again for us? 」Ann embraced the trembling nymph in her arms, running her fingers through his hair in order to try and calm the panicked nymph down. Akira refused to let her go the entire time.

 

“The drugs. You're all just hallucinations, aren't you? ...I know that this time. You'll leave again once they wear off. But I have to give Akechi credit this time I guess… these feel like one of the strongest he's ever given me. I feel like you're almost real this time,” he laughed bitterly, unashamed of the tears running down his face.

 

Ann gently wiped the tears away with her thumb.「 Akira, what had happened to you...? 」

 

“He… forced himself on me this time. Raped—" he stopped himself, shaking his head as if it was not quite the right word to use. "... No, that's not right. It's... not rape if I had enjoyed it that much."

 

"No, he... fucked me, during my first heat, until I became pregnant. After that, he was more careful with me... During my pregnancy, he no longer drugged me. I guess he wanted to make sure the pups came out healthy. That's why... That's why I haven't gotten to see you guys again in such a long time..." another bitter laugh, before the stream of tears flowing down his cheeks had started back up again.

 

"My pups... No matter how much I had begged to see them, he took every one of them away from me. _He took away my pups right after they were born._  Locked them up in another room somewhere in this building.I never got to see them again."

 

"And, well, here I am now— alone in my tank, drugged to the gills, talking to two vivid hallucinations in my head. It's... almost scary how real everything seems this time, too... it's almost as if he wants me to waste away in imagination land while he goes and..." Akira trails off there, unable to finish the painful sentence even to the two figments of his drugged up imagination.

 

The two sea nymphs both balked at him, a mix of confusion, dread, and horror apparent on their expressions.

 

「 Hey, Akira… What are you saying...? 」

 

「 Yeah... Why can't we understand anything coming out of your mouth? 」

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo, let me clear some things up. 
> 
> Two months have passed since the events of the last chapter. The Personas, this AU's version of the Phantom Thieves™, have taken down Shidou and saved poor Akira from the evil science laboratory facility he was held in. But, as they said, 「 The only living being we found in the hidden facility was Akira. 」
> 
> Where is Akechi? Where are the pups? 
> 
> Stay tuned to find out all of this and more! ❤️


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened. This fic was supposed to end in three chapters when the idea first came to me. I've pushed it to four, five, seven, and now I'm just going to give up placing a number to it because frankly I don't know when I'll tire of torturing Akira, or when I'll run out of ideas. It's not like I have an outline for this monster; I don't even really know what's going to happen until I write it, if I'm being honest haha. 
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ THIS FIC WILL END WHEN IT WANTS TO END I GUESS ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 
> 
> Anyways, here it is— the "chapter-that-was-supposed-to-end-this-fic-but-didn't". This chapter goes out to all of the readers who get off on Akira's suffering— especially you, strange, sadistic anon who "wants them to know every bit of what happened" after having Akira rescued. Yes, I haven't forgotten. Happy reading y'all ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

 

Akira blinked in surprise.

 

In the months he had been held captive, he had been drugged by Akechi countless times now. Sometimes, it was when Akechi felt the shock collar wasn't enough of a punishment; other times, when he wanted to test the dosage and potency of a new kind of drug he was developing. Once in awhile, the scientist will simply drug him to lull him into a false sense of comfort before gleefully ripping it all away in an instant of sobriety. And every time, Akira should have known better than to nuzzle into the ghostly touches of the illusions, should have known better than to cling onto the hope that one day he'll come back home into the loving arms of his pod; and every time, he fails to learn from the last.

 

Yet, in all of his drugged hallucinations, not once had the Ryuji, Ann, or other nymphs of his mind expressed any trouble understanding him. The hallucinations had always been simple up until this point— comforting, empty words and cold, transient embraces that he clinged to until it all melted away into the white walls of reality in his laboratory prison. The nymph touched his throat reflexively, his fingertips feeling the small bump where the metal translator had been implanted in him since the start of his capture. In hindsight, it made sense that they would no longer understand him in a scenario like this. Still, this inconvenient, meticulous detail that had been overlooked by his mind in the past… why had it changed only now? It only made sense that his illusions was not always rational, but this one so far…

 

「 _It can't be because it's… real this time…?_ 」

 

His heart skipped a beat at the thought. There was no denying how much Akira wanted to give in to Akechi's little game and believe all this to be real. That, somehow, he had been rescued for real this time and the Ann and Ryuji in front of him now weren't just drug-induced illusions. That he could close his eyes and open them again and he wouldn't be back in his tank, or strapped on the exam table, or, or—

 

Or pinned underneath Akechi’s body.

 

But he remembered how brutal it was the first time he had hallucinated being back. Just as he had started to cry tears of joy for seemingly having escaped, the cruel illusion faded away and he felt the familiar leather straps on his wrists as reality dragged his consciousness back into his imprisoned body. Akira remembered how the scientist had happily lapped at the tears that wouldn't stop spilling forth after that, sneering at him for even daring to hope to come back home.

 

_“You remember how you got into this mess in the first place, don't you? You refused to listen to your pod. You would rather abandon them over me, like the naive lovesick pup you were. What makes you think that they'd want you back now, even if you were able to escape? What makes you think they wouldn't be sickened by the little whore you've become?”_

 

Akechi was right. If he really had been back, his pod would be no less than disgusted to see him again. Not only had he almost put them all in danger because of his own stupidity, but the filthy things he had done with Akechi over the months… it wouldn’t be a surprise if the entire ocean could smell it on him by now. He couldn't even put it off as rape anymore, with the way he had practically begged for it. Akira knew he had lost all reasons to be of any more use to the pod since the first day of his capture. The fact that Ann, Ryuji, and the rest of his pod haven't kicked him out yet is only proof that this is just all in his head.

 

「 _That's right… this is all just another hallucination. Sooner or later, I'll be back in the cold, empty tank again. I can’t get my hopes up. I can’t give in to Akechi’s little game._ 」

 

For now, all Akira can do is bear with it until the pain of reality comes to tear him apart all over again.

 

* * *

 

Ann shook her head at Ryuji’s question.

 

「 No, wait Ryuji. That's not it. I… actually can understand him. He's speaking in a human language called “English”... 」She trailed off, seemingly deep in thought at something. Her blue eyes were still wide with horror and dread after what Akira had confessed.

 

「 Really? _You_ understand “English”? Well, then, what's he saying? How come you were asking him what he was saying earlier? 」

 

Ann shifted her gaze downward, biting her lip as she hesitated on her answer. 「 It's not that I don't understand the _language_ he's speaking, but rather the _things_ he's saying. There’s just no way… Akira, all of that can't be true, can it? 」

 

Just then, Makoto, Haru, and the rest of the pod came streaming into the cove with plenty of food from today’s hunt.

 

「 Ryuji, Ann, we're home! We've got— 」

 

The words died on Makoto’s lips as she and everyone saw Akira in Ann’s arms. Immediately, they set everything to the side and clamored around the nymph. Ann let go of him to let everyone else take turns hugging their long lost pod member.

 

「 Akira! You're finally awake!! 」

 

「 We've all missed you so much, you don't even know!! 」

 

Akira lowered his head. He knew this was all just an illusion, but why did everything feel so _real_ this time? Why did it pain him to not give in and accept this? He remembered the pain of being brought back to cold, hard reality every time he finally thought he had been saved. He was so tired, so tired of getting his hopes up for nothing. And yet he still hasn't learned, it seems, because all he wanted to do was lean into everyone's touch and cry. As if these illusions can actually comfort him and take him away from the brutal reality that awaited him after. Not knowing how to respond, he just stood there stiffly, as everyone hugged him one by one.

 

「 Guys… Akira can't talk to us anymore. 」

 

Everyone turned their head at Ryuji’s revelation.  

 

「 What do you mean, Ryuji…? Why not? 」

 

「 Well, it's not that he can't _literally_ talk, but he's stuck speaking in some sort of funky human language. “English”, I think. I dunno why, but Ann’s been the only one to understand what he's saying. I think… it's gotta be something that was done to him by the humans while he was gone. 」

 

「 Well, what has he said so far? How long had he been awake for? 」

 

「 Not long. Just recently, actually. And, well, I don't know. Ann hasn't told me yet. 」 He looked up at Ann expectedly. 「 Wanna tell the rest of us what he said? 」

 

Ann did the best she could to translate what Akira had told her. The nymph hadn’t told her much, and the little he had said wasn’t all too clear even to her, but she figured she had most of it down.

 

「 ...I think the reason why the Personas had trouble finding Akira was because Shidou wasn’t responsible for his capture— Goro Akechi was. Akira never said specifically that he was captured by him, but he did mention him a lot. He mentioned a bit— something about being drugged by him a lot, and hallucinating... 」her blue eyes widened as she trailed off, finally realizing the gravity of Akira’s words.

 

「 What is it, Ann? 」

 

「 Wait a minute… Akira, you don’t think you’re just hallucinating all of this… all of _us,_ are you…? 」Ann gripped his shoulders tightly when the nymph only avoided her gaze. 「 Hey! You really are safe, back in the cove with us! You know that, don’t you? 」her azure eyes stared him down, searching for any sign that the other nymph understood.

 

Akira shifted uncomfortably in her hold. The worry, the desperation in her blue eyes— it all seemed… too Ann-like. Too authentic. Too real. His past illusions were never like this, never this intense. He feels like he’s losing his mind.

 

Perhaps he really is.

 

Everything’s so realistic, he could feel himself giving in little by little. But he knows he shouldn’t. He can’t. If he submits to this hallucination, it’s all over once he wakes up. But, at this rate, the hope swelling in his chest is going to burst and tear him apart from the inside if this hallucination doesn't end soon. He doesn’t know how much more of this he can take before he breaks. Akira squirmed, weakly trying to get away as her grip refused to budge.

 

“Stop this, please… that’s enough. I know you guys aren’t actually real, so please don’t make this any more painful for me. It will only hurt me more when you all disappear again.”

 

「 What do you mean “disappear again”? None of us are going to disappear, because none of this is a hallucination! Snap out of it, Akira! 」

 

「 Wait. Ann, let him go. 」It was then that Ann felt a firm hand placed on her shoulder. Behind her, Makoto stood solemnly. Ann knew of the long sessions Makoto spent every day and night, training and swimming away the immense guilt she felt for Akira’s disappearance. Now that he’s back, talking as if all of this— all of their fears and worries —were just an illusion, she’s just going to stand back and quietly watch it happen?

 

「 What? No! We didn’t wait six months for him to come home only to think he’s imagining it all! He probably… probably thinks he’s still… back in that hellhole… 」Ann slowly let go of Akira, realizing she was trembling with the sheer emotion welling up inside her.

 

Makoto shrunk back.「 I… know. Trust me, Ann; I know how you must be feeling right now. But badgering Akira when he too has gone through so much is not going to make anything better. For now, I think it would be best for all of us to give him some space and time to recover. It must have happened so suddenly for him that he’s not sure who or what to trust right now. 」

 

「 Makoto is right, 」Yusuke piped up from the back. 「 From what we can piece together, it seems that Akira had been drugged by Goro Akechi repeatedly in the time of his captivity, even to the point of wildly hallucinating. 」He paused a bit, letting the grimness of the truth sink in.「 He must have fallen for so many of those hallucinations in the past, to fear that all of this is yet another cruel trick of his mind. 」

 

「 But… that’s not even all he told me. That doesn’t even begin to cover all of it…  」Ann shifted her gaze down to the seafloor as the words stumbled out of her mouth. The pod looked up at the blonde nymph, uneasy about what she might have to say next.

 

「 Akechi didn’t stop at just drugging him. If I understood correctly, he… forced himself on Akira, too. Akira told me he was raped on the night of his first heat, and… had become pregnant that way. Once he had given birth, Akira had his pups stolen away from him and never got a chance to see them again. And, well, the last thing Akira remembers before the Personas brought him here was being drugged again and left to suffer by himself, in the tank he was held captive in… 」

 

Akira merely curled up as Ann spoke, her voice eventually drowning out in his ears as he found himself getting lost in a tangle of his own thoughts. Through all of this, he tries his best to reminisce of the time before the fateful day he met Akechi, the time before it all went to hell, but found that he no longer could at this point. Each time he tried conjuring a happy memory of him and his pod, it was always interrupted by a different, painful memory— one of electric volts mercilessly coursing through all of his nerves, until his body was left nothing more than a limp puddle on the metal table. It was the memory of what he woke up to after Akechi’s experiments with him, and it was seared into his mind as a Pavlovian response to the hallucinations. Akira’s thin frame sagged on itself as he realized that, at this point, his memories might as well be no different from his drug-induced illusions. Perhaps that was exactly what Akechi aimed for with all of the drug experiments— drugging him incessantly for months to hollow him out into a perfect, obedient plaything for him to freely use as he pleased.

 

If that was true, then Akechi had gotten everything he wanted. He had successfully taken his body, his pups, even his own mind from him. There was nothing else left of Akira— nothing left for Akira except to waste away in his own delusions like this.  

 

「 … and that’s what he had told me so far. 」Ann frowned as she finished, just noticing that the nymph in question had quietly relegated himself in a corner, making himself as small as possible. Makoto swam up to him, crouching down to meet his hollow, faraway gaze.

 

「 Akira…? 」

 

The black haired nymph lowered his gaze, holding himself tighter. Makoto backed away slightly, giving the nymph enough space but remaining steadfast in her resolve.

 

「 Akira, 」she tried again, gentler,「 I know that all of this might be hard to believe for you now, but… you really are safe back home with us. We promise. And we promise that all of us are going to do everything we can to help you until you can wholeheartedly believe it. 」

 

「 That’s right! 」Futaba chimed in, standing right behind Makoto.「 We aren’t going to force you to believe us today, or tomorrow, or even next week, but we’ll keep at it until you finally do. 」

 

「 We're all here to support you, Akira. Every step of the way. 」

 

Akira mulled over their words. For a brief moment, Ann thought she could see a glimmer of hope flash by in his eyes, before it faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

 

“... Do you know why I know this is all a dream?"

 

"It’s because none of you are angry or disgusted by me like you should be.”

 

Ann’s eyes widened.「 Akira, what are you saying? Why would any of us be angry or disgusted? 」

 

“Futaba was right. Everyone was. Akechi was tracking me down, and… I was the only idiot who was too stubborn to see it. I ignored the obvious and trusted him anyways— all because I thought I knew better —and I put the entire pod in danger because of it. Who _wouldn’t_ be angry? I refused to listen to any of you and swam off on my own like a petulant pup. I even endangered those who weren’t at fault because of my stupidity. The last thing someone like me deserves is sympathy. I know I deserved every last thing he did to me. My _real_ pod would know that too. No one in reality would be stupid enough to bother keeping me around. My parents were right to have abandoned me, and... my real pod is as well.”

 

The rest of the pod could do nothing but attempt to guess what the black-haired nymph was saying through Ann’s heated responses. And from the looks of it, it didn’t seem too good. Ann was trembling again, knuckles bone white and clenched into tight fists. She looked like she was on the verge of tears and about to murder someone all at once. No one dared to ask her for a translation right at that moment.

 

「 … Yeah, you were stupid. You were such an _idiot_ to not listen to Futaba, or me, or Makoto, or anyone. And yeah, I don’t know what the hell you were thinking, trusting the first human you saw right off the bat just like that. But don’t you _dare_ imply that you deserved to be mutilated like this! Don’t you _dare_ imply that you deserved to be _raped!_ And _don't you fucking dare_ imply that any of us would just abandon you like that! We haven't abandoned you, _and we never will!_ 」

 

“But they have... They had to have forgotten all about me by now. It's been half a year, _Ann_. How do you expect anyone to find me in this hidden facility now if they couldn't after all this time? Akechi had my vocal cords snipped and this translator lodged in its place. My teeth had been filed down, my hands permanently declawed. I can't even swim for very long without tiring myself, because swimming without my fins is extremely difficult. I can't call out for help, swim my way back home, or even fight my way out of here. I'm as good as dead by now.” It's been six entire months he had spent in this hell together with Akechi. He had long already resigned himself to this fate— abandoned by his pod like he had been by his parents, and rendered utterly useless to anyone but the scientist. Accepting this bitter truth helped him survive, made the experiments and hallucinations just a tiny bit easier to bear. It was easier to remain empty, just like Akechi wanted him to. It was easier not to feel anymore.

 

“I'm beyond damaged, can't you see? Nothing more than Akechi's glorified lab rat, fuck doll, and breeding machine all-in-one. It's useless to hope for anything more than this— an illusion. Even if my real pod were to come and rescue me now… they'd know how useless I've become and abandon me anyways. I don't want to see the disappointment in their faces when they find some filthy, deformed slut instead of the pod member they were searching for.” 

 

“I don't know why this hallucination has lasted this long... I'm a bit worried now, actually. It feels like it's been forever. Maybe... maybe I'm finally losing my mind? Maybe now Akechi can keep fucking me without—”

 

Akira never got to finish his sentence as his body suddenly crumpled on the seafloor, out cold. Behind him, a silhouette stood shrouded in the dark, hidden by the shadows made by the walls of the cove. Before anyone could react properly, the silhouette stepped out of the shadows and spoke.

  
「 Isn't Akira getting tired? Let's have him sleep for now and call it a day. 」

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://i.imgur.com/kU68ZPR.png


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....... apologies for taking a while to update. I'm going to have to dial back the speed at which I continue torturing Akira while summer college classes proceed to kick my ass. Expect chapters to come out slower than usual, I guess, but just know I haven't forgotten or abandoned this sinful thing. 
> 
> I hope all of you don't either, heh.

 

Everyone was stunned at the short figure that stepped out from behind Akira. Ann couldn't decide whether she was angry at the perpetrator for knocking Akira out, or secretly relieved that she didn't end up being the one to do it herself.

 

「 You… You just knocked out Akira!! 」

 

「 What the hell, Morgana?! 」

 

「 How did you even get there...? 」

 

The tiny nymph simply shrugged, twirling a sturdy metal pipe in his nimble hands. 「 While Lady Ann was busy distracting him, I snuck up from behind without anyone noticing. It wasn't that hard. 」

 

「 We never asked for you to kill the dude! 」

 

「 Oh relax, will you? I only put him to sleep for now. 」 Morgana made a show of pointing out Akira’s chest to everybody, rising and falling in a slow, even pace as his gills filter in oxygen from the water. 「 See? Still alive and breathing. 」

 

He looked down at the nymph he had just knocked out. Even asleep, Akira wore a tired, defeated expression on his face not unlike the one he had just a few moments ago. Morgana couldn't help but feel his own expression fall a little as he observed the sleeping boy.「 Besides... I'm not happy that I had to resort to this either, you know? I don't think I had much of a choice though. It didn't seem like our words were getting through him at all otherwise. I figured it might be better if he had a bit more time to rest. Can't be any worse than how he already was, right? 」

 

「 Well, while he's resting, we should take this opportunity right now to discuss what we know happened so far, and what we can do to help. It won't be easy, especially now that most of us can't even understand him, but I'm sure we can do it. 」Everyone's eyes turned to the blonde nymph.

 

「 Lady Ann, can we rely on your help and have you translate for us and Akira from now on? 」

 

「 O-of course! I want to help Akira get better soon, just like everybody else. I'll do anything I can. 」 With the help of Haru, she picked up Akira and gently set him down on a nearby bed of rock. Ann sighed.

 

「 Still though… Not that I'd mind if it really has to come to this, but will we have to communicate like this with him forever? Is there nothing else we can do...? 」

 

The rest of the pod looked at Ann uneasily, shifting their gazes to Akira’s sleeping body before staring at the ground in resignation.

 

「 I don't think any of us can say for sure right at this moment. There's so much done to him from what we can already tell and, while we can't say all of the damage done is permanent, I think it's safe to say that at least some of them might be. That might even include his voice. And with those, I don't think we have the resources to do anything about them right now… 」

 

「 I think Morgana is right, 」Makoto added.「 As much as I hate to admit, we have to assume the worst for now. If Akira really has sustained some permanent wounds, we currently do not know of anyone who can help reverse or heal them. None of us can, that's for sure. 」

 

「 … It's not fair though… Akira had to suffer so much at the hands of that bastard! And now, once he's finally safe at home with us, he… he still continues to suffer! And- and we're just going to let him be?! 」

 

「 That's not what I'm saying, Futaba. I'm sure we can help him recover, little by little. With enough time and patience, we might find the right resources to counteract even the more… _permanent_ wounds. I just think we should be realistic with our expectations here and prepare for the worst, 」the brunette cooly replied. Despite the rationality of her words, Makoto’s expression did little to hide the worry and anxiousness she kept from the tone of her voice.

 

「 Well... you all should know what Akira had told me just now. About what happened to him. There's more details this time, and… well, you'll see, I guess. 」Ann took a deep breath and steeled herself a bit before beginning.

 

「 Apparently, he had his vocal cords snipped; a translator had been fixed in its place, which I think is why he could still even communicate at all. His teeth were filed down, his claws were permanently removed, and his fins… well, you can see what happened to them. 」

 

「 Akira doesn't believe he's home because Akechi had made it near impossible for him to escape since day one, with how badly he had mutilated him. He can't fight, can't swim, can't even cry for help… He seems to have given up completely. He told me he believed we had abandoned him already, told me there's no way out of the facility for him at this point, no way anyone will find him after all this time… 」After trailing off for a bit, the blonde nymph lowered her voice to barely a hushed whisper as she solemnly delivered her next words.

 

「 Worst of all, though… is that Akira seems to think he _deserves_ everything done to him. He believes he's useless now— good for nothing more than being ‘Akechi's glorified lab rat, fuck doll, and breeding machine’. Told me… it was better this way, better that he stays imprisoned with that man, than face disappointment from us for being a… a _‘filthy, deformed slut’._ 」

 

She looked up at the horrified expressions of the crowd in front of her. Ann sighed, feeling the tangible cloud of despair that had enveloped everyone upon hearing the news. They had to stay positive for Akira’s sake. Who was going to, if not them? Still, how _can_ they, knowing that one of their own had been abused and hurt so deeply ? How _can_ they, when they don't even know where one horrifying thing began, and where another ended?

 

「 I… don't know what to do, everyone. I know it's selfish, but I just want the old Akira back. I want to see him okay again, smiling that cocky smile of his like everything's alright and he's got it all under control… I want to race with him again like we're still pups with nothing better to do with our time… I know all of this is really selfish, I _know_ that, but I keep expecting him to just wake up at any second and shrug it all off with a grin, like he always does. I'm so scared that we had already lost him at this point… that we’re too late to do anything, and that he… won't ever be the same again… 」

 

「 Hey, hey. _Hey._ 」Ryuji grabbed at the blonde nymph’s shoulders firmly, staring directly into her glassy blue eyes.「 We can't give up on Akira just like that. We can't. All we can do is keep hoping and work with him no matter what. Remember what Futaba said? We're not going to get there today, or tomorrow, or even next week, but we just gotta keep at it until we do. We gotta— for Akira’s sake! 」

 

「 Right. Akira is wounded right now; that's all. Emotionally just as well as physically. You cannot expect him to start swimming laps again right away with a physical wound; just the same, he needs time to heal mentally as well. He'll be back to his old self; I'm sure of it. Don't expect the results to be fast, of course, but I'm sure he will bounce back eventually if we just keep doing everything we can to support him. 」

 

Ann mulled over their words for a bit.「 _They do have a point..._  」she admitted to herself.

 

「 ... but what if the wounds are permanent though? The emotional ones, just like the physical ones…? 」

 

「 Like Makoto said earlier, we might be able to help even with the permanent physical wounds with enough time. Maybe we might find someone with the right magic who can help. Maybe we'll find some new human technology from a shipwreck that we can put to use. But we won't be able to do any of that if we just give up early; likewise, we can't give up hope with his emotional wounds either. 」

 

「 I think it would help Akira if Lady Ann and at least one other person accompanied him each day. He must have been completely isolated back in the facility; it might do him good to be around others as he adjusts to life back home.  」

 

「 That's a good idea. The rest of us can take turns, but unfortunately Ann would always have to accompany him… None of us are able to understand him by ourselves otherwise. Is that alright, Ann? 」

 

「 Yeah, of course! Let's help Akira get back on his tail together. 」Ann remarked, a little confident smile peeking out despite herself.

 

「 Sounds good. We can start first thing tomorrow morning then. I am willing to go first, if that's alright with everyone. 」

 

Everyone nodded in approval.

 

「 Good; then it's decided. Tomorrow, Makoto and Lady Ann will stay and help Akira. The rest of us will make sure to hunt extra for the three of you. We can figure out the rest of the schedule for this week later; for now, though, why don't we all head off to bed? It's really getting late, and I'm sure by now Akira isn't the only one who needs sleep. 」

 

They all agreed and headed off to their respective tunnels to sleep. Ann stayed behind to sleep near Akira, not wanting to leave the nymph to wake up alone. Before she headed off for the night, she gently brushed some hair away from his face, murmuring softly to herself just as much as she is to him.

 

「 You're going to be alright, Akira. We're all going to do our best until you are. We won't give up on you… so please don't give up on us too, okay? 」

 

* * *

 

Ann woke up with a start.

 

「 _What was that? Is it morning already...?_ 」Just now, in the middle of the night, a scream had startled her awake. She only had to look across from her to realize it came from Akira, who had sat up and curled in on himself, pale-faced, trembling, and breathing heavily.

 

「 Akira…? 」

 

He turned his head to her, eyes wide with shock, disbelief, and a hint of fear from whatever terror he had woken up to just a moment ago.

 

“Ann…?” The nymph took in his surroundings, looked back at her, then back at his surroundings, seemingly confused and disoriented still.

 

“This isn't my tank… Where am I…? Where is Akechi? I thought… I thought I was…”

 

He froze in place as the realization hit him. The vivid, realistic back and forth he had with Ann earlier. Being knocked out by one of his pod members. Waking up to the same place as his previously thought “hallucination”. Nothing like this had ever happened in any of his past drug-induced illusions. His hallucinations had always been easy to tell once he was sober— brief, sweet, and devoid of any conflict whatsoever. Like an imaginary happy place with imaginary happy people that a little pup would make up in his mind. 

 

This, however… wasn't like that at all. His pod hadn't gotten angry or disgusted to the extent he had expected them to, yes. But they had still gotten angry at him nonetheless. Ann had yelled at him. Called him stupid, called him an idiot, and doing so with such intensity and pain in her eyes— intensity that he could never imagine was inside Ann all along. Someone had even hit him in the back of his head this time— so hard, the sheer force knocked him out cold for however long he was out for.

 

They hadn't pretended everything was alright when it clearly wasn't. Everyone here had actually reacted so... realistically this time. 

 

His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he pieced it together. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Akira found himself daring to cling onto hope again. He turned to Ann, hesitantly reaching out to hold her hand.

 

“Hey… This… really isn't a hallucination, is it…? This is all really... true? I'm… really… home…?” the nymph’s voice cracked with his last words.

 

Ann smiled. She took his hand and pulled him into a warm embrace, bursting the floodgates of raw emotion from Akira in no time. The blonde silently held him for what seemed like the longest time as sobs wracked his thin, fragile frame— stroking his back soothingly the way Yusuke and Makoto used to for her and the other younger nymphs growing up.

 

「 Yeah. We missed you _so_ much, you know? But it's okay now... You're finally home now, with all of us. 」

 

「 Welcome home, Akira. 」

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey, I hope everyone's excited for their favorite guilty pleasure to finally update. There is a tiny bit of smut in this, per a commenter's (and my own) request ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
>  _Huge_ apologies for the long wait. I've been *dying* to finally update this thing, trust me. Every 15 minute break from class, every subway ride to and from school, I've spent just writing, scrapping, and rewriting. There ended up being a *lot* of scrapping and rewriting in this as I struggled to find the perfect balance between emotional angst and mermaid smut. 
> 
> If I don't already end this story before June 29th, then updates can come a lot faster after that, once classes end for me. So, uh, look forward to that! 
> 
> Also something I'd like to mention: I've fixed and rewritten a lot of the earlier chapters too. Not too drastically that any major plot has changed, but just enough that it's not completely shitty anymore? God, coming back to school helped me realize that my writing was faltering, and I could no longer stand to read the first chapter without cringing. How you all got through that initial garbage and can still like this is beyond me hahaha. Feel free to reread the earlier chapters if you want, but it's not all that necessary to understand things moving on from here. 
> 
> Regardless though, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Let's all go to hell together, yeah? ❤️

 

 

Ann gently held Akira’s hand as she chatted with him, smiling as she felt him relax right next to her. After he had woken her up with his nightmare, Ann had spent a good amount of time awake, trying her best to comfort the poor, frightened nymph. It hadn’t been easy; it took a lot of reassuring, of holding him through his wracking sobs as he let all of the suppressed pain of six months finally work its way out of his body, before Akira finally calmed. Now though, lying next to her like this with his head resting on her shoulder and his hand in hers, Ann couldn’t help but feel a mix of pride, joy, and relief welling up within her. After all this time, Akira can finally begin to heal.

 

The two of them had been up talking for a couple of hours since then. After they had abruptly woken up the way they had, Akira decided he hadn't the strength to deal with sleep anymore, and Ann had simply been unable to go back to bed even after trying. Seeing that sleep was not an option for either of them, they were content to just chat together and enjoy the other’s company the rest of the night.

 

Besides, none of them could really try to sleep when all of that lost time needed to be made up for. It had been _six months_ , after all _—_ six dreadful months full of hopelessness and uncertainty for everyone. Though they never dared admit it out loud, no one—not Akira, Ann, or anyone else in the pod—had really believed that he would come back after all this time. And yet, in some unbelievable miracle, Akira had made it back. Akira was finally _home_ now, and there was so much to be done— who could sleep at this time, knowing that they had a six month gap to fill?

 

There really was just so _much_ — so much that Ann wanted to know, so much that had went unanswered for Akira, so much to catch up on. But for now though, just this was enough. Staying up late, casually chatting the night away until Makoto or one of the others found them huddled together in the morning… It was what he, Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana used to do back then as pups. It was simple, innocent memories like this that Akira had nearly forgotten amidst all the pain and suffering of the last few months _._ While he did hope to eventually talk to everyone else too, just knowing that he was finally safe back home, next to someone who _isn't_ a hallucination this time, was more than what he could ever pray for.

 

For now, just this was enough.

 

「 … Hey, speaking of the surface… I know this might be a weird question, but was everything in the surface all… white when you were up there? 」

 

“Hm?”

 

「 Was the place you were held in... all covered in white? Like, white as far as the eye can see? 」

 

“Oh. Sort of, I guess? The entire ‘surface’ isn't all like that. When you swim up and out of the depths, the first thing you actually get to see is a bright blue sky, ocean spanning in all directions, and tall, dark grey cliffs jutting out into the clouds. If you swim even further, you'll eventually reach the shore— where you'll see the surface becomes covered in a bed of sand.”

 

“The facility I was kept in, on the other hand… was. White from top to bottom— white walls, white floors, white ceiling… White no matter where you looked.”

 

「 Huh.. And, in the facility, were you also kept underwater too? Trapped in a cage made out of see-through walls? 」

 

“Yeah… I was, actually. Akechi had called that cage a ‘tank’ before,” Akira curiously turned to look at her in the eyes.

 

“How did you know all of this…?”

 

「 Oh… I don’t. Well, not for sure at least. 」Ann paused for a moment, unsure if she should clarify or simply leave it at that.

 

「 Akira, can I tell you something… weird? 」

 

“Hm? Of course, go for it.”

 

「 Okay… Well, I never told anyone else this, but… ever since I could remember, I would sometimes get these weird dreams once in awhile. 」She took a deep breath, steeling herself before continuing.

 

「 In these dreams… I was outside of the ocean, but somehow still underwater. Thick, see-through walls surrounded me on all sides, and all I can see through them was white— white walls, white floors, white ceilings… White everywhere. 」

 

「 The dreams were never all that clear, either; they were always fuzzy and kind of hard to remember once I woke up. Really, they were more like… feelings of things? Like this feeling of being surrounded by white, or feelings of being trapped underwater. No one would tell me in the dream or anything, but I just… also have this feeling that I'm on the surface, somehow. That this weird, white place surrounded by transparent walls was what the “surface” felt like. 」

 

「 And… I don’t really know why, but I feel like this weird, white place in my dreams was just as much home to me. I never remembered learning 'English', and even now I don't know how to speak it, but here... somehow... it came as naturally as anything. No one from our pod would be in the dream, but I still felt like I was with my ‘family’ too— like another family I used to have, a long time ago. And... even though none of these things are anything I can really remember, they almost feel like... really old, familiar memories that I'm _supposed_ to remember. 」she laughed softly, trying to hide the unease she felt whenever she recalled this particular dream.

 

「 ..... But… that’s all ridiculous, isn’t it? All of this… must be pretty weird, huh…? 」

 

It _was_ weird. To his knowledge, Ann had been in their pod ever since she was a pup. Makoto had taken her in instantly, taking pity on the wailing, orphaned newborn she had found rummaging a shipwreck one day, and bringing her straight home to their cove. Ann had never had a family outside of all of them. She had grew up and lived here with them ever since, never leaving the ocean even once to go to the surface.

 

Yet how was her description of the facility so eerily accurate? And what could she possibly mean by her ‘family’...?

 

「 I asked Makoto and Ryuji before, you know… if the surface was like that at all… They just told me what you did— the part about the sky, the sea, and the sand. I thought, maybe it was just a weird dream that doesn't actually mean anything. But the more I keep having them, the more something tells me that… maybe it's not just a dream. If what you told me is true… 」Ann trailed off here and never finished, looking pensive and anxious the more she thought about it. She was always left puzzled and uneasy after waking up to those dreams, but she had always tried to ignore them up until now. Now, after Akira had confirmed her suspicions, she had a feeling she knew what it all meant.

 

She wasn't sure she liked it.

 

A tight squeeze on her hand pulled her back from the tangle of her thoughts. It seemed like she wasn't the only one who began to put two and two together from what they gathered of their conversation.

 

“If what I told you is true, then nothing. It doesn't matter. Even if it is more than just a dream, it doesn't change a single thing for us. You've been down here with us all your life. You are our pod, our family, and you always will be. Nothing will _ever_ change that.”

 

Ann couldn't help but exhale a little through her nose as she smiled. Here she was, trying to distract him from the pain of his earlier nightmare, only to end up comforted from hers instead.

 

Even now, their joker was always full of surprises.

 

「 Yeah… You’re right. Thanks, Akira. 」

 

Ann beamed as Akira playfully tousled her hair. For the first time in almost seven months, they were finally starting to regain some sense of normalcy again. No words could convey how much she had missed this.

 

「 Really, I mean it. Thank you. I mean… you were the one who had woken up from a bad dream just now, yet here I am, being comforted about mine… 」she chuckled a bit at that.

 

「 Well, since I told you mine… do you, maybe, want to share yours too…? 」

 

It was right when she asked this question that the lively mood from before darkened considerably. Ann felt the other nymph’s hand stiffen in hers, his entire frame going rigid as though he had just been struck all of a sudden.

 

“………”

 

Shock, fear, and what she thought was a hint of shame was written on his face.

 

“… I…… That's…”

 

「 Oh... No, no, it’s okay! 」she shook her head, immediately feeling regret for bringing it up.「 I was just offering, really. It… helps a lot sometimes, to talk it out with someone, you know? But you don’t need to, at all, if you don't want to. 」

 

Akira remained still for a moment. His gaze was firmly set on the ground the entire time, troubled gray eyes directed away from Ann's as he considered whether to really take up her offer.

 

Ann could only watch as the other nymph struggled with the turmoil inside of him. While the blonde worried that she shouldn’t have tried to pry in the first place, she still felt that she needed to at least offer him. Whenever she had a nightmare, or even just something on her chest,  she had always felt better after talking about it with Akira, Futaba, or even Ryuji. It always helps to have someone to listen, and she felt that he especially needed that right now. After all, Akira had to have bore all that suffering for _half a year_ in complete isolation, never having anyone to help or share the pain with…

 

Just trying to imagine such a thing broke her heart.

 

Still, she knew that much of these wounds were most likely still too fresh; pressing to reopen them so soon might not be what he needs, and might even do the opposite intended. For now, all she can do is let him know that she's there for him. She would wait until Akira himself is comfortable with his decision to tell her.

 

“... No. It’s… alright,” Akira finally responded, in a whisper so soft she barely heard it.

 

「 Huh? Are you sure about this, Akira…? 」

 

“Yeah. I think… I think you really should know the truth.”

 

“I’ll tell you. About my nightmares, and…. about the things that happened to me in that facility.”

 

* * *

  

They were both one and the same, really. His nightmares; his memories.

 

It had been that way for Akira for nearly two months now. Despite having successfully impregnated him the first night, Akechi had continued to use and abuse him just the same afterward. It was only occasionally, at first, but the nightly “visits” from the scientist gradually increased with each week until it became common to expect him in his room every night. Since then, the trauma of his daily violation always resurfaced in the form of nightmares to haunt him during the night; awake, the nymph had no choice but to surrender his body to him— asleep, his mind and sanity.

 

 

What made his nightmares and experiences all the more difficult to talk about was the dissonance he faced between his mind and body. All of the physical torture Akira endured in his time could not even begin to compare, because they at least hadn't left him confused, aroused, and disgusted with his own body the way the rape and nightmares had. He could take the lashes to his back. He could take the shock collar. Hell, he could even take the drug-induced hallucinations. But this? How could he justify the ways his body had shamefully reacted? How could he ever explain the way he would arch his trembling body against the restraints, panting and moaning for it like a wanton slut despite himself? He hadn't been drugged. He hadn't been brainwashed. He couldn't even fall back on his heat as an excuse, when he remembered coming untouched only a week ago—long after his heat had ended—just by having the human play with his swollen, oversensitive tits. Akechi had _abused_ him, toyed with his body the way he would a fuck doll, and yet here Akira was— _enjoying_ it to the point of orgasm and dreaming of it every night. 

 

It was all so disgusting,  _humiliating_ _,_ and what made everything even worse was the lack of excuse for it all.

 

Even as he said what he did to Ann, a part of Akira really did want to take his words back. Ultimately, he felt it would just be better to spare her and everyone else the details altogether. It had been a miracle that none of them had given up on him even after all this time; he couldn't take that trust placed in him just to let them all down again. He also couldn’t deny his fears that, once the truth eventually came out, everyone would come to their senses and rightfully abandon him. And why would they not? He was no longer the same, confident joker he was before. He couldn't swim very well, defend himself, or even talk to anyone else. He had nothing to offer his pod anymore as it was; there was simply no way that he would still be welcome if they knew what he was _really_ like now, if they knew how he had _truly_ reacted…

 

As he looked into Ann's worried eyes, he knew he should do the right thing and take it back. Pretend that everything's alright, that it was all just a dream and nothing to really worry about. 

 

But Akira was selfish.

 

Though he knew he should just back away, while he still could, Akira felt himself desperately wanting give in to her offer. He was nearing the end of his rope; the never-ending nightmares were eating away at him, and he wasn't sure how much longer of this he could take on his own. To be faced with undeniable proof of his defilement, his weakness, night after night… it was a trauma too immense, even for him. It had gotten to the point where Akira would often force himself to stay awake for as long as he physically could— preferring days, even weeks of exhaustion over reliving the painful memories every night.

 

Even still, he knew that he could only forgo sleep for so long; the constant stress, fear, and insomnia was bound to force his body to cave in eventually.

 

And the loneliness, too… After all those months in isolation, just being able to _talk_ to someone, to unload his problems to even just one other person was beyond comforting. Ann had offered an outlet for that, and that comfort was simply too tempting to refuse even if he knew he really should. If telling somebody, _anybody_ , will ease the pain… as hard as it was to admit, he would be willing to risk even all of his fears just for this small hope of relief, at this point.

 

Too weak to handle the consequences of his own actions himself, he simply couldn’t resist latching onto the first gentle hand offered to him— even if it meant dragging them down with him into the same filth that corrupted him.

 

So, with a heavy conscience, he confessed it all to Ann. In pained, trembling whispers, he told her everything— starting from the first night of his heat, to the increasing nightly "visits", to the nightmares he's had every night since. He described the humiliating acts Akechi had forced him to do, both in reality and in his subconscious, and the more humiliating reactions his body had to them. And he told her of his conflicting feelings— the dissonance he felt, and the fear that Akechi was right. That he deserved every single thing done to him.   

 

"…… I don't know how much telling you all of this would help in the end, to be honest. Maybe I'll be stuck having them every night, for the rest of my life. But, you know… I'm just... so sick of it, Ann. I don't know how else to stop these nightmares. I'm finally home now, surrounded by all of you guys, and yet... it feels like I'm still nothing but his filthy plaything after all this time. I don't know how else to stop feeling so pathetic. So… disgusting"

 

"... To be honest… in the beginning, I was worried that you'd hate me if I told you the truth. But, now that you finally know, I… I wouldn't blame you at all if you did. I wouldn't blame anyone, really."

 

"I mean, _I_ do, after all."

 

The nymph chuckled bitterly at that. He was curled up tightly into a ball at this point, his face buried in his tail in shame until he felt hands cup his cheekbones. Before he knew it, he found himself unable to look away from Ann’s stern, soulful eyes.

 

「 Akira. I want you to listen to me, and I want you to listen good. 」

 

「 The things that bastard had done to you were despicable, but you are not at fault for any of it. Do you hear me? You are not. Even with everything you've told me, you are still not to blame for… _for_ _fucking_ _rape_ , Akira. I know this. Ryuji, Futaba, Morgana knows this. Every one of us knows this, and I can promise you _none of us_  think that you asked for it in any way. 」

 

「 _'It doesn't matter. Even if it is more than just a dream, it doesn't change a single thing for us. You are our pod, our family, and you always will be. Nothing will_ _ever_ _change that.'_ ... When you said this to me, you really meant it didn't you? It goes both ways, you know— it's the same for you, too. All of this doesn't change a single thing; to us, you are still our pod, and you always will be. You're not pathetic, or weak, or dirty because of the things that happened to you, and none of us are ever going to hate you, or think of you any less for it. 」

 

「 And… I'm not claiming that we have all of the answers to everything right now, either. I don't know if talking about it like this will be enough to help the nightmares go away. But... I do know that, no matter what it might be, we'll always find a way as long as we keep trying. I do know that I, like everyone else, am so, _so_ glad you're finally home. We want to help you, Akira, and I know that we're going to try our damndest to, no matter what. 」

  

「 So please… believe in yourself a little bit, and in us too. I know it's easier said than done, but we have to have hope— together. None of us are going to give up on you, so promise us you won't give up on us too, okay...? 」

 

Akira felt a thumb wipe away a tear he didn't know had fallen. Those soft, blue eyes staring back at him were filled with so much compassion; honestly, he was dumbfounded at what he could have possibly done to deserve this much love and support. The nymph nodded his head, gently bringing a hand to rest on top of the one cupping his cheek. 

 

After all of that time, being held prisoner to a fate worse than death, Akira felt like he finally has a winning chance now.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me writing this was to have an excuse to write sad, self-loathing Akira (heh), but the other part was really to write what I imagine Ann would be like helping a friend recover from sexual assault. I love that a major part of her S-link was centered around her supporting her close friend Shiho throughout her recovery. The more you interacted with Ann, the more you find out how she's been growing stronger as a person as she helps Shiho grow alongside her too, and I think that's hella cool. I think Ann is hella cool.
> 
> Ann is only partially Japanese in canon, so I decided to write a parallel to that here too ('another family I used to have, a long time ago'). What could her dream possibly mean for her? How relevant will this be later on in the story? Tell me your theories down below! 
> 
> (Or just comment what you think of the chapter, what you want to see in the next chapter, just _please_ feed my inbox nicely ❤️)


	10. Temporary Notice from the Author

Hi there everybody, both new readers and old. This is "chapter" is only a temporary notice and will be replaced with the real new chapter once I get to writing the actual 10th chapter of this fic, but I feel that I owe everybody some sort of explanation for the more-than-one-year-long silence from me and this fic. 

 

Inspired after playing Persona 5, I started writing this fic during last summer as a way to pass the time and to get back to writing again after having to take off a semester from school due to personal issues. I write best in giant chunks of time, where I dedicate 5-10 hours just sitting on a computer and writing out my ideas, and during that summer I had all the time to do so. Fast forward to school starting up again, as well as getting acclimated to it after what feels like a long hiatus, and even more personal things in my life adding into the mix (both good and bad), and I just could not keep up with this fic anymore.

 

I was thinking of officially abandoning this fic, especially since I did leave off at a place where I was stuck as to where else to take this story, but I decided to leave it until I finished with school to really decide whether or not to do so. Now that I have gotten back to writing again, and have more time on my hands to do so again, I have decided to actually continue with it and give you all the ending y'all deserve.

 

Thank you for all the support, both new readers and old. I often did think that no one would really mind if I deleted such a trashy fic out of the blue without any warning, but a lot of you guys do seem to enjoy this fic (and I do feel bad taking that away haha). Now that I have gotten back into the swing of writing again, I will also make edits here and there to the existing chapters as well; I do read and appreciate every comment (and yes, I did notice that one cannot cry underwater lol), so please be patient as I work around to fix this fic up. Thank you!

  
  
 **10/5/18 Edit:** Christ whoops nevermind, school has long started and I no longer have "more time on my hands". Trying to kickstart this a week before school started was a **m i s t a k e** ~~, and a bachelor's is not going to earn itself, y'know~~. I am not abandoning this fic _**I promise**_ but expect nothing until winter break at the very least? Sorry, I know, I know, oof. I will finish what I started though, if it's the last thing I do so help me.  


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